No abstract

The autotransplanted ovary of the ewe was perfused in vivo via the ovarian artery with either 14C or 3H labelled C19 steroids. 17β-Oestradiol was the major phenolic steroid isolated in ovarian venous blood from either testosterone or androstenedione. Smaller amounts of oestrone were obtained but there was no 17α-oestradiol, oestriol nor conjugated oestrogens isolated. The yield of oestrogen was approximately ten fold greater from androstenedione than from testosterone suggesting that the main route of oestrogen biosynthesis in the ovine ovary is via the former steroid. The effect of infusing luteinizing hormone (LH) at the rate of 10 μg per hour on the conversion of androstenedione to 17β-oestradiol was measured in 5 experiments. In 2 experiments, when the steady state was not achieved, the increasing rate of conversion was halted. On the other hand LH resulted in a temporary increase followed by a decrease in the rate of conversion in the remaining 3 experiments in which there was a constant rate of conversion in the control samples. These results are compatible with the concept that LH stimulates the aromatisation of androstenedione to oestrogens by the ovary in vivo.