Fate of receptor-bound human chorionic gonadotrophin in pseudopregnant rat ovaries perfused in vitro.

Pseudopregnant rats were injected with [125I] hCG, anaesthesized 1 h later and after cannulation of the aorta the ovaries were isolated and perfused with Gey & Gey buffer containing 0.2% BSA. The release of radioactivity was monitored for 2 h and analyzed by gel filtration. Five to ten per cent of the radioactivity was released within 2 h and represented small molecular weight peptides and iodotyrosine and [125I]hCG. Analysis of the ovarian radioactivity prior to and after perfusion revealed that virtually all hCG was receptor-bound. Loading the medium with unlabelled hCG displaced [125I]hCG from the receptor but did not enhance its degradation. Histological examination showed that the ovarian tissues were still intact after the 2 h perfusion. Immunohistochemical studies revealed a localization of the hCG at the cell periphery both prior to and after perfusion. These results provide evidence showing that the rate of internalization of receptor-hCG complexes in rat luteal cells is slow in vivo.