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SummaryMale rats fed a moderately low protein diet were more susceptible than females, or than both sexes on a normal diet, to monocrotaline, an alkaloid causing hemorrhagic hepatic damage and other lesions. Rats of both sexes on still more deficient diets were as resistant as normal rats. Testosterone propionate increased the toxicity of monocrotaline for both sexes on the more deficient diet. These experiments suggest that the greater susceptibility of male rats to monocrotaline may be due to the metabolic effects of male sex hormones.

Recently, we reported that the clearance of 131I-labeled IAP from subcutaneous tissue of male rats is more rapid than that of females especially at the age of maximal sexual development (1). This led us to postulate that male sex hormones are stimulators of the subcutaneous blood flow, while female hormones have an inhibitory effect. Since this postulate could be tested by castration of male rats and administration of diethylstilbestrol (DES), we decided to pursue this line of experimentation.Methods. Twenty-eight sexually mature Sprague-Dawley rats (strain CD-1, Charles River) were divided into four groups of seven as follows: Group I, females with no treatment; Group II, males treated with nine daily subcutaneous injections1 of 0.2 ml placebo (vegetable oil vehicle) over a 2-week period before the clearances; Group III, castrated males treated with placebo as in Group II; and, Group IV, castrated males treated with nine daily subcutaneous injections of 25 mg/kg DES2 over a 2-week period before the clear...

SummaryA colorimetric method is described for male sex hormone assays on urine. The color assays are compared with comb growth assays on capons.

This report describes a method of utilizing the 6-day chick in the bio-assay of the male sex hormone, of androsterone particularly. Much of this study was occupied in eliminating pitfalls which obscured assay. Ruzicka1 first suggested the chick as a test object, utilizing external application to the crest region as described by Fussganger.2 The latter claimed that external application of an extract containing only 1/50 of a capon unit gave a reaction as great as 50 times this amount, given intramuscularly to the capon.The white leghorn responds best. Chicks younger than 6 days show a high mortality. Ten days' treatment has been found the best.One-half-inch mesh screen must be used as flooring to automatically eliminate droppings. Controls must be segregated to avoid both contact and the possibility of swallowing droppings. Failure to avoid this mistake is evident in our earlier controls which showed comb reactions. (See Graph S 1, S 2, S 4.) Only “chick starting mash” and plenty of water are required. Cro...

Our studies on female castrates showed a great increase in gonadotropic hormone excretion in the urine.1 Two male castrates have now been investigated. In both patients bilateral orchidectomy had been performed for tuberculous epididymitis. In the first patient (L.D.) castration was performed 5 years ago, in the second (L.S.) 8 years ago. In the 1st patient, within 1 week of the operation, severe flushes and sweats occurred and have persisted. The 2nd has suffered from no symptoms.Gonadotropic hormone urine determinations by the acetone precipitation method2 were performed on L.D. for a preliminary period of 22 days. Both follicle stimulating and luteinizing factors were found in the urine. The daily output of follicle stimulating factor varied from 4 to 18 rat units per day; of lutein factor from 4 to 7 1/2 rat units per day. In the second patient, 5 random 48-hour urine specimens were examined. The daily output of lutein factor varied from 4 to 8 R.U. The gonadotropic hormone effects produced in the tes...