OVINE GONADOTROPHIC HORMONE INJECTIONS LEADING TO AUTOIMMUNITY IN GOATS

Four adult male goats were each immunized with a total dose of 7.0 mg ovine luteinizing hormone (LH) in Freund's adjuvant over a 6-month period. This active immunization resulted in a marked suppression of testicular size and spermatogenesis as well as atrophic epididymi in two goats while these aspects were normal in the other two animals. The results correlated well with those of radioimmunoassay in which the relative capacities of the goat antisera to bind highly purified ovine LH were determined. Studies involving precipitin reactions in agar and neutralization of goat LH in hypophysectomized rats indicated the ability of goat antisera to combine with either the ovine or goat hormone. © 1969.