| Abstrakt: |
Adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is ubiquitously distributed in mammalian tissue and has been established as a “second messenger”, mediating intracellularly some of the effects of a variety of hormones. Among these are the catecholamines, pituitary trophic hormones, prostaglandins, and estrogen. Cyclic AMP has also been demonstrated to increase progesterone biosynthesis in granulosa cells, but inhibit it in the adrenal cortex. Prior work identified cyclic AMP at daily dose levels of 5 mg. as an effective contraceptive in female Swiss mice. To determine further the mode of action, cyclic AMP was administered for varying time periods to adult female mice, and vaginal cytology plus histologic study of the adrenals, ovaries, and uterus was carried out. There was no change in adrenal histology, but changes in the ovaries, uteri, and vagina were suggestive of divergent hormonal effect. |
