A major practical consideration in bioassays using liypophysectomised animals is transport of the animals from the supplier to the centre where they are to be used. This involves "transport stress" and delay between the time of hypophyseetomy and assay, both of which can lead to unpredictable responses in the test animals. In the assay method developed by Lamond and Bindon (1966) immature mice are hypophysectomi.sed before 10.00 a.m. and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCC) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) injected 5 to 6 hr. later. In this report we describe the effect of transporting liypophysectomised mice from Brisbane (ambient temperature 27-30°) to Melbourne (ambient temperature 17-20°) on their use for the assay of FSH.Immature mice were hypophysectomised in Brisbane between 8.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m., according to the method of Lamond and Bindon (1966). They were given access to a standard pelletted diet and 10% glucose in the drinking water. Those remaining in Brisbane were kept in a constant temperature cabinet at approx. 27° and were not disturbed except for injections of the test hormones at about 3.00 p.m. The transported mice left Brisbane by air in a special container before noon and arrived at Melbourne airport between 2.30 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. They were moved to the laboratory as soon as possible and kept under similar conditions to those in Brisbane; test hormones were injected between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.Preliminary experiments consisted of dose-response studies of NIH-FSH S3. The aircraft was delayed on one occasion and the mice were not injected in Melbourne until 9.30 p.m. This resulted in a marked decline in response. However, although the mortality in transported mice was 20% compared with 5% in Brisbane, the results at the two locations were similar.On November 8th, 1966, assays were conducted at both centres using NIH-FSH S3 and two local preparations of human pituitary FSH. On November 17th the second international reference preparation of human menopausal gonadotrophin (IRP-HMC) was compared with NIH-FSH S3. The results are shown in Table 1.In the experiment conducted on November 8;h the uterine weights were similar in both laboratories for NIH-FSH S3 and FSH-B but the potency of FSH-A was lower in Melbourne. On November 17th the responses to IRP-HMG and NIH-FSH S3 in Melbourne were depressed but the relative potency was similar at both locations.The results indicate that it is possible to transport hypophysectomised mice by air and obtain reproducible results with the mouse uterus augmentation assay in two laboratories 1,000 miles apart on the same day. Presumably, the mice could have been used for other purposes such as the assay of growth hormone. Mortality was greater in transported mice but, provided they survived the first 24 hr. after hypophyseetomy, they appeared to
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