Effects of hysterectomy and uterine extracts on the endocrine system of adult, nonpregnant rats.

Plasma concentration and anterior pituitary content of growth hormone (rGH), thyroid stimulating hormone (rTSH), prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH), luteinizing hormone (rLH) as well as the plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), corticosterone and immunoreactive somatomedin A (SM-A) have been determined in intact, ovariectomized or ovo-hysterectomized rats with and without treatment with steroid-free uterine extracts. The endocrine organs were weighed. Two weeks after hysterectomy the body weight was decreased, the weight of adrenals was increased, the plasma GH concentrations increased and the plasma TSH and T3 concentrations were decreased compared to the sham operated controls. Treatment with steroid-free uterine extracts had opposite effects; furthermore, a reduction of pituitary FSH, GH and prolactin content was observed. Plasma immunoreactive SM-A concentrations were not significantly influenced by this treatment, but there was a positive correlation between the body weight and SM-A and a negative correlation between the plasma GH and plasma SM-A concentrations regarding the individual values of hysterectomized, uterine-extract-treated and ovariectomized animals. The results suggests that uterine factors can influence the synthesis and release of several hormones and the weight of some endocrine organs in adult, nonpregnant rats.