EFFECT OF IMMUNIZATION WITH LUTROPIN-RECEPTOR ON THE OVARIAN-FUNCTIONOF RABBITS

Three New Zealand white adult female rabbits, designated as A, B, and C, were immunized to produce lutropin receptor antibodies. Antisera in hibited the binding of I-125-hCG to the lutropin receptor and the prod uction of testosterone by hCG stimulated rat Leydig cells. During the study period of, approximately 10 months after the last immunization, rabbits did not ovulate in response to an injection of 75 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin or mating as revealed by laparotomy. As the ant ibody titers declined, induction of ovulation and laparotomy revealed restoration of ovulation and corpus luteum formation. However, no preg nancy occurred when rabbits A and B were mated and artificially insemi nated. These observations indicate that lutropin receptor antibodies c an cause infertility in female rabbits.