THE EFFECT OF OVARIAN HORMONES ON THE SULPHOMUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES OF THE UTERUS

The distribution of sulphomucopolysaccharides was determined radioautographically and the distribution of acid mucopolysaccharides was determined metachromatically in the uteri of hormone-treated ovariectomized rats. The animals were autopsied 12, 90, and 204 hours after itraperitoneal treatment with sodium sulphate-S 35 and a definite difference in the uptake of labelled material was noted in the uteri of the hormone-treated animals autopsied 204 hours after administration of S 35 . The greatest variability was observed in the endometrial stroma. Radioactive sulphur was scattered lightly throughout the stroma of the ovariectomized and ovariectomized-progesterone treated rats, while in the ovariectomized-estrogen treated animals the silver grains were extensive and localized primarily in the outer part of the stroma. In the estrogen-progesterone treated rats more grains were present than in the castrate, but less than seen following estrogen alone. The silver grains were observed over the extracellular matrix and over the connective tissue cells. Metachromasia was more intense and widespread in the endometrial stroma following estrogen treatment than in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized-progesterone treated animals. The present study indicates that uterine sulphomucopolysaccharides are influenced by the ovarian hormones and that the concentration is highest following estrogen stimulation.