Serum melanocyte-stimulating hormone levels and pituitary melanocyte-stimulating hormone content during pseudopregnancy in the rat.

Pseudopregnancy (PSP) was induced in rats by vaginal stimulation and the levels of MSH in serum and pituitary were examined. One hour after vaginal stimulation, the serum MSH level was increased, and a cyclical variation was observed by the second day of PSP. There were two surges of about 50 pg/ml, one in the morning and the other at night. On the sixth day of PSP, the pattern of serum levels still showed two peaks, but while the nocturnal peak remained at 50 pg/ml, the diurnal value was halved. The pituitary MSH content also underwent cyclical variations; the lowest levels coincided with the peak levels in serum. These observations raise the possibility that MSH is involved in PSP.