Gonadotropin levels in sera and pituitary glands of female rats treated with alloxan

Alloxan monohydrate in saline solution was injected intraperitoneally into young (35 day old) and older (95 day old) female rats at dose levels of 7.5 mg or 15.0 mg/100 g of body wt. In both age groups of rats, only the high dose of alloxan was effective to produce permanent diabetes as judged by the presence of hyperglycemia and glucosuria. The rats were bled by cardiac puncture and autopsied 21 days following the alloxan treatment. In young rats, diabetes resulted in a significant reduction in body weight gain and in ovarian and anterior pituitary weights. Serum and pituitary LH levels of these young diabetics were, respectively, significantly lower and essentially the same, whereas their serum and pituitary FSH levels were, respectively, essentially the same and significantly higher than those of the controls. In the older diabetics, although a significant decrease in body weight gain was observed, the ovarian and pituitary weights as well as the serum and pituitary gonadotropin levels were essentially the same as compared to the controls.