IDENTIFICATION OF HUMAN LUTEINIZING HORMONE, FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE, LUTEINIZING HORMONE β-SUBUNIT AND GONADOTROPHIN α-SUBUNIT IN FOETAL AND ADULT PITUITARY GLANDS

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
C. HAGEN
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A. S. McNEILLY
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.0670049
Volume/Issue:
Volume 67: Issue 1
Article Type:
Research Article
Page Range:
49–57
Online Publication Date:
Oct 1975
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SUMMARY

Specific radioimmunoassays were used to assess the content of LH, FSH, the gonadotrophin α-subunit and the LH β-subunit in four adult, 19 normal foetal pituitary glands (9·5–32 weeks of gestation) and a pituitary extract from an anencephalic foetus (36 weeks). The hormones and subunits were further identified by column chromatography on Sephadex G-100. All pituitary glands contained free α-subunit and intact LH but the α-subunit:LH ratio was significantly higher in the early foetal pituitaries (9·5–16 weeks) than in the four adult pituitaries. Only small or undetectable amounts of LH β-subunit and 'undetectable' FSH were found in these early foetal pituitaries (9·5–11·5 weeks). The concentration of intact hormones or subunits in the pituitaries showed no significant sex difference in any of the groups. In contrast to these results, only α-subunit was detectable in the pituitary of the anencephalic foetus.

For 14 early foetuses (age of gestation 10–16 weeks) the serum levels of LH–HCG, FSH, and α-subunit in the circulation were significantly higher than in 26 foetuses at term (37–41 weeks). On the basis of these results a theory for the development of the gonadotrophin secretion from the foetal pituitary gland is outlined.

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Print ISSN:
0022-0795
Online ISSN:
1479-6805
Page(s):
9
Article Type:
Research Article
Print Publication Date:
01 Jan 1975
Online Publication Date:
Oct 1975