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Mass Excretion of Œstrogenic Hormone in the Urine of the Stallion

Abstract

IN earlier investigations1 it was shown that the largest quantities of “strogenic hormone (folliculin—s. œstrin) are excreted in the urine of pregnant mares (100,000 mouse units per litre). I found this also to be the case in other equines (ass, zebra) during pregnancy, whereas, in the non-pregnant state, the excretion of hormone both in equines and in other mammals is very small, at most 0·5 per cent in comparison with that of the gravid animal. Curiously enough, as a result of further investigations, it appears that in the urine of the stallion also, very large quantities of “strogenic hormone are eliminated. (The first determinations indicating the high content of “strogenic hormone in the urine of the stallion were made by Dr. E. P. Häussler in the scientific laboratory of Hoffmann-La-Roche in Basle.) According to my analyses, the amount of hormone varies between 10,000 and 400,000 m.u. per litre of urine; the differences appear to have some relation to the origin of the animals. 37 litres of urine obtained from four stallions were rendered acid to congo-red by the addition of mineral acid, boiled for five minutes and subjected to exhaustive extraction with benzol. In this way I found a hormonic content of 170,000 m.u. per litre, which can very well be regarded as an average value. The stallion therefore excretes 1,700,000 m.u. of æstrogenic hormone per diem.

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References

  1. Klin. Wochenschr., No. 49, 2285 ; 1930.

  2. "Dic Hormone des Ovariums und des Hypophysenvorderlappens" (The Hormones of the Ovary and of the Anterior Pituitary Lobe). Springer, 1930, pp. 85 and 90.

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ZONDEK, B. Mass Excretion of Œstrogenic Hormone in the Urine of the Stallion. Nature 133, 209–210 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133209a0

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