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Human Ovaries Contain Immunoreactive Oxytocin^*

Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, Illinois 60612

Address requests for reprints to: Firyal S. Khan-Dawood, Ph.D., Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, 840 South Wood Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612.

Ovarian tissues (n = 26) obtained at surgery were assayed for oxytocin (OT) concentrations in different parts of the ovary by a specific and sensitive RIA after homogenization and extraction with 0.4 M acetic acid. Chromatography of the extract on a Sephadex G-25 column revealed a single peak identical to synthetic OT, as measured by RIA. Corpora lutea of the menstrual cycle had 10.8–53.0 ng immunoreactive OT/g tissue (n = 7), while those of early pregnancy had a concentration of 106.0 ng/g (n = 1). Ovarian stromal tissue had either undetectable or lower concentrations of OT (0–21.0 ng/g; n = 5) than the corpus luteum from the same ovary. While a luteoma of term pregnancy (n = 1), a benign cystadenoma (n = 2), and an endometriotic cyst (n = 1) had no detectable immunoreactive OT, the concentrations of immunoreactive OT were 20.0 ng/g in a thecoma, 1.4, 20.0, and 60.0 ng/g in preovulatory follicles (n = 3), and 41.0 and 37.0 ng/g in polycystic ovaries (n = 2). In one patient with premature ovarian failure, the ovaries had 9.0 ng/g and undetectable immunoreactive OT. These findings indicate the presence of immunoreactive OT in human ovaries, with significant concentrations in the corpus luteum and preovulatory follicles. It is probable that these tissues produce OTs or an OT-like material which may function as an ovarian luteolytic agent.

^* Presented in part at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Washington, D.C., March 18–20,1983, and the 65th Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society, San Antonio, TX, June 8–10, 1983

Received April 25, 1983.

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