title: The ontogeny of immunoreactive beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin in the rat ovary.
abstract: We have investigated the ontogeny of, and the effect of hypophysectomy on, immunoreactive beta-endorphin in rat ovaries. Total levels rose with ovarian weight from nondetectable levels at 5 days of age to approximately 0.15 pmol/ovary at 80 days; thereafter, the levels remained constant through 201 days of age. Hypophysectomy decreased both ovarian weight and the total content of immunoreactive beta-endorphin, but the concentration per weight was not significantly altered. Most of the immunoreactive beta-endorphin before puberty chromatographed like authentic beta-endorphin, but after puberty most chromatographed like beta-lipotropin. Hypophysectomy did not alter this chromatographic pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cicero
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D009929:Organ Size; D010053:Ovary / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin; D008083:beta-Lipotropin