Effects of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin on left and right gonads of female chick embryos in culture.

Organotypic cultures were made of right female gonads of chick embryos of 8 days, on medium containing follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone or prolactin (PRL), and of left ovaries of the same age on the medium containing PRL. Results indicate that the explants cultured on PRL resemble most closely the normal ovaries in vivo. It is suggested that PRL may have a function in the morphogenesis of the female gonads of chick embryos.