16α‐hydroxy‐progesterone as a sex hormone antagonist: Effect on venous diameters in the female mouse

摘要

AbstractPellets of progesterone plus 1 % 16α‐hydroxy‐progesterone (16α‐OH), testosterone plus 1 % 16α‐OH, and estradiol‐17β plus 1 % 16α‐OH were implanted in the right uterine fat mass in ovariectomized (O) and ovariectomized‐hysterectomized (OH) mice. Three weeks later they were killed and the diameters of the ovarian, uterine, and femoral veins and the inferior vena cava were measured and averaged. The averages were compared with averages for O and OH mice bearing pellets of glass and of progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol‐17β without 16α‐OH. It is concluded that in castrate mice the size of ovarian and uterine veins is influenced not by the presence or absence of the uterus but by sex steroids, that progesterone usually causes decreases while testosterone and estradiol‐17β cause increases in vein diameter, and that both the presence of the uterus and the administration of 1 % 16α‐OH are associated with partial inhibition of increases in vein size induced by steroids. Uterine hypertrophy and urinary bladder distention resulting from the administration of testosterone and estradiol‐17β were not preven