GUINEA PIG COPULATORY REFLEX IN RESPONSE TO ADRENAL STEROIDS AND SIMILAR COMPOUNDS

Abstract

DEMPSEY, Hertz, and Young (1936) demonstrated that the copulatory reflex can be induced in ovariectomized guinea pigs by the administration of progesterone if the animals are first sensitized with estrogen. This was confirmed by Hertz, Meyer, and Spielman (1937) who also reported that pregnandione, androstenedione, dehydroandrosterone, testosterone, and estriol did not produce this effect. Van Heuverswyn, Collins, Williams, and Gardner (1939) found that desoxycorticosterone could substitute for progesterone, and Torstveit and and Mellish (1941) reported that aqueous extracts of the adrenal cortex were also effective in inducing the copulatory reflex in ovariectomized guinea pigs. This investigation was undertaken to determine whether steroids isolated from the adrenal cortex and certain other compounds with adrenal hormone-like activity are active in producing the copulatory reflex in guinea pigs. materials and methods Compulatory Reflex in Guinea Pigs. The method is essentialy that described by Hertz, Meyer, and Spielman (1937).