Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone on Body Weight, Uterine Weight and Serum Prolactin Levels in Ovariectomized Rats

난소척출 흰쥐에 있어서 Estrogen 및 Progesterone 투여가 체중, 자궁발육 및 혈청 Prolactin 수준에 미치는 영향

This study was conducted to find out the effects of estrogen and progesterone on body weight, uterine weight and serum prolactin levels on the growing female rats which were ovariectomized. For this purpose, 125 heads of rats (Wistar-Imamichi strain), 28 days old, were devided into 5 groups; OVariectomy(Ovx.), ovariectomy treated with estrogen(Ovx.+Est.), ovariectomy treated with progesterone(Ovx.+Prog.), ovariectomy treated with estrogen and progesterone(Ovx.+Est.+Prog.) and control group. Twenty-five heads of rats were arranged to each group, and changes of body weights were weekly checked. On the other hand, every 5 heads of rats in each group were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after treatments with time elapse for measuring concentrations of serum prolactin and for investigating the weights of ulterus. Prolactin concentrations in the serum were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. The results obtained are as follows; 1. The body weights were increased slightly in Ovx. in comparison with Ovx.+Prog., Ovx.+Est.+Prog., Ovx.+Est. and control groups, but there were not significant among the compared groups at all observation times. 2. The uterine weights in all treatment groups were decreased significantly (P<0.01) compared with control groups at all observation times. But the weights in Ovx. and Ovx.+Prog. groups were lower than those in Ovx.+Est. and Ovx.+Est.+Prog.. 3. Serum prolactin concentrations were increased slightly in control group in comparison with other groups at 1 and 2 weeks increased slightly in control group in comparison with other groups at 1 and 2 weeks after treatment. But compared with control group, the concentrations Ovx.+Est. and Ovx.+Est.+Prog. were high level, and those in other groups were low level in the order of Ovx. and Ovx.+Prog. groups at 3, 4 and 5 weeks after treatment. There were not significant among the compared groups at all observation times. 4. The results obtained in this study suggest that when ovariectomized rats receive 1$\mu$g estrogen and 3mg progesterone daily, that had no effect on body weight and serum prolactin concentrations while significantly effect on the weight of uterus.