Abstract
THE sex hormones may be divided into two main classes. One class comprises the gonadotropic hormones, the chemical structure of which is still unknown, and which stimulate the gonads to the production of the real sex hormones. It is possible that the gonadotropic hormones are identical in both sexes. However, the occurrence of the real male and female hormones, which form the subject of this article, is also not specific for the sexes, since it has been proved by their action that hormones of the other sex can exist in the male as well as in the female organism. A female hormone has been successfully isolated in a pure state even from the urine of stallions1. The specific action of the male and female hormones is confined only to the development and maintenance of the functions of the sex organs and glands and the secondary characteristics of the sex under consideration. This, however, by no means excludes the possibility that both groups of hormones can play a definite biological part in both sexes. Lately, a substance, androstene-3,17-diol, was prepared artificially11, which showed even male and female hormone activities2.
Article PDF
References
B. Zondek, NATURE, 133, 209, 494; 1934.
E. Tschopp, Praxis, Schweiz. Rundschau für Medizin, December 12, 1935, and Arch, internat. Pharmacodyn. et Thérapie, January, 1936.
Cf., for more details, an article by J. W. Cook, NATURE, 134, 758; 1934.
Cf. the latest paper in this field by A. Cohen, J. W. Cook and C. L. Hewett, J. Chem. Soc., 445; 1935.
L. Ruzicka and A. Wettstein, Helv. Chim. Acta, 18, 986; 1935. R. V. Oppenauer, NATURE, 135, 1039; 1935. W. Schoeller, A. Serini and M. Gehrke, Naturwiss., 23, 337; 1935.
Only the latest papers are mentioned: R. K. Callow and R. Deanesly, Biochem. J., 29, 1424; 1935. Lancet, ii, 77; 1935. A. S. Parkes, Chem. and Ind., 928; 1935. V. Korenchevsky, M. Dennison and S. L. Simpson, Biochem. J., 29, 2131; 1935. V. Korenchevsky, NATURE, 135, 434; 1935. E. Tschopp, a paper in press in Arch. internat. Pharmacodyn. Thérapie.
See also E. Dingemanse, J. Freud and E. Laqueur, NATURE, 135, 184; 1935.
E. Laqueur, P. de Fremery, J. Freud, S. E. de Jongh, S. Kober, A. Luchs and A. P. Münch, Berichte über die gesammte Physiologie, 61; 1931. T. F. Gallagher and F. C. Koch, Endocrinology, 18, 107; 1934. Matsuzaki Kwanji, Jap. J. Med. Sci., 7, 1515; 1934.
E. Tschopp, NATURE, 136, 258; 1935.
K. David, E. Dingemanse, J. Freud and E. Laqueur, Z. physiolog. Chem., 233, 281; 1935.
K. David, Acta brev. Neérland., 5, 85, 108; 1935.
L. Ruzicka and A. Wettstein, Helv. Chim. Acta, 18, 1264; 1935. A. Butenandt and G. Hanisch, Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges., 68, 1859; 1935.
L. Ruzicka, M. W. Goldberg and H. R. Rosenberg, Helv. Chim. Acta, 18, 1487; 1935.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruzicka, L. Relationships in the Sex Hormone Groups. Nature 137, 260–262 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137260a0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137260a0
This article is cited by
-
The involutional (mental) syndrome
The Psychiatric Quarterly (1939)
-
The syndrome of acute (alcoholic) hallucinosis
The Psychiatric Quarterly (1939)