The Behavior of the Rat Ovary after Transplantation into the Spleen.

Abstract

In the ovaries transplanted to the spleen of gonadectomized male or female rats, lutein cells are massively formed. The cells are derived both from the membrana granulosa and the theca interna. Granulosa-cell tumors, luteomas or mixed tumors arise in the older grafts. Gonadotrophic hormones from the anterior hypophysis, unaffected by the estrogen elaborated by transplanted ovaries, are responsible for the results.
The intrasplenic ovarian grafts in normal males or castrated males bearing subcutaneous ovarian transplants behave like ovarian grafts in male rats in general, showing follicles of varying sizes but no corpora lutea. Therefore the testicular androgen and the ovarian estrogen seem to exert similar influence on the anterior hypophysis of a male rat.
Nothing peculiar is found in the intrasplenic ovarian grafts in spayed females with subcutaneous ovarian transplants.