Proteins of Ovarian Cyst Fluid and Serum from Hypothyroid Gonadotrophin-Treated Rats. ∗

Summary

Thiouracil feeding increased total protein and gamma globulin in the serum of female rats above that of their euthyroid controls. Ovarian cyst fluid in these gonadotropin treated hypothyroid rats had an electrophoretic protein pattern which simulated the serum and was characterized by an increase in gamma globulin. Total glycoprotein of serum was greater than cyst fluid but total protein to polysaccharide ratio and ratios of respective fractions did not differ. Following injection of S³⁵ DL-methionine, serum reached peak specific activity in 4 hours; however, cyst fluid activity, negligible for 12 hours, did not reach that of serum until 24 hours. Increasing specific activity of cyst fluid was not coincident with a drop in activity of ovarian residue. Thus these data suggest that protein portion of cyst fluid may be of plasma origin.