In vivo regulation of ovarian activity by alpha-fetoprotein.
Adult female rats, each injected with 760 microgram alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) weekly, presented after the third week a decrease of ovarian activity evidenced by a decreased number of maturing follicles, corpora lutea, and a drop in ovarian weight. The level of progesterone was low and agreed with the decreased number of corpora lutea. Conversely, total and free estradiol-17 beta levels remained normal despite the known ability of AFP to bind estrogenic hormones. A regulatory role of AFP during the postnatal stage of sexual maturation is proposed.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D012709:Serum Albumin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol