Effects on pregnancy in mice of passive immunization against ovine LH and human chorionic gonadotrophin.
Mice given daily i.p. injections of immunoglobulins against ovine LH on Days 3-7 of pregnancy were devoid of implantation sites on Day 8 whereas mice treated with antibodies to hCG had embryos of normal number and appearance on Day 8. These antibody treatments reduced the mean +/- s.d. serum progesterone concentrations from 65.4 +/- 15.3 ng/ml (control globulins) to 8.6 +/- 4.9 ng/ml (anti-LH) and 9.2 +/- 3.1 ng/ml (anti-hCG) on Day 8 and had no differential effect on serum oestrogen levels on Day 4. However, the mice treated with anti-hCG did not litter; resorption of the embryos took place between Days 10 and 14 of pregnancy. Indirect immunofluorescence and quantitative immunoenzymic assays showed the presence of anti-ovine LH and anti-hCG reacting antigens in the mouse feto-placental unit. On Day 6, the values of reacting antigens (mean +/- s.d. absorbance units/10 micron section of embryo) were 0.050 +/- 0.002 with control globulins, 0.059 +/- 0.002 with anti-hCG-Ig and 0.196 +/- 0.018 with anti-LH-Ig; the corresponding values on Day 12 were 0.075 +/- 0.009, 0.402 +/- 0.02 and 0.416 +/- 0.015. The quantitative disposition of the reacting antigens to the two types of anti-gonadotrophins seems to bear a temporal relationship to their respective antifertility action. The pregnancy terminating action of immunoglobulins to ovine LH (Days 6, 7 & 8) and hCG (Days 8, 9 & 10) was counteracted by administration of 2 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate on Days 6, 9 and 12, indicating the importance of progesterone in the maintenance of pregnancy in the mouse.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002369:Castration; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000276:immunology*; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000276:immunology; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000276:immunology*; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
D000941:Antigens; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D008525:Medroxyprogesterone