Proportions of nucleic acids in the uteri of ewes with clover disease and the effect of oestrogen after ovariectomy.
In entire ewes, the ratio of RNA to DNA in the uterus was higher at oestrus than at dioestrus but did not differ between control and clover-affected ewes at either stage of the oestrous cycle. After ovariectomy the ratio of RNA to DNA in the uteri decreased in both control and clover-affected ewes, but the decrease was greater in the control ewes (P less than 0.01). Subsequently when ewes received a single injection of oestradiol-17 beta, a similar rise in uterine RNA/DNA ratio occurred in the two groups. However, following injection of the ewes with oestradiol-17 beta for 3 days, the ratio of uterine RNA to DNA was higher in control than in clover-affected ewes (P less than 0.05). Thus, the uteri from clover-affected ewes undergo less regression after ovariectomy and yet show less response to repeated oestrogenic stimulation that do that of control ewes. This pattern of response is consistent with the hypothesis that the permanent changes caused by phyto-oestrogens in ewes are analogous to the differentiation which normally occurs during organogenesis.
D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D006109:Poaceae; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013577:Syndrome; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D004958:Estradiol; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA