EFFECT OF CHORIONIC GONADOTROPHIN ON THE CELLULAR CONTENT OF MOUSE PERITONEAL FLUID R. H. DAVIS
AND
LINDA SHERMAN
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and *Anatomy, Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, U.S.A.
(Received 9 September 1974) Since the cellular composition of peritoneal fluid is altered by species, sex (Davis & McGowan, 1968), the oestrous (McGowan & Davis, 1968) and menstrual cycles (McGowan, Davis, Stein, Bebon & Vaskelis, 1968) as well as pregnancy (McGowan, Davis & Kriesler, 1968; McGowan & Davis, 1969), we believe that the cellular content of peritoneal fluid is affected in a characteristic manner by administration of hormones. Testosterone injected into castrated mice increases the percentages of mesothelial cells and histiocytes in serous fluid, with a corresponding decrease in bare nuclei (Davis, McGowan & Villanueva, 1969). On the other hand, oestrogen given to ovariectomized mice reduces the proportion of mesothelial cells and causes 'daisy cells' to appear in aspirated fluid (McGowan & Davis, 1970). Subcutaneous administration of cortisone also decreases the proportions of mesothelial cells as well as lymphocytes (Davis & McGowan, 1970). The present study attempts to determine the influence of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on peritoneal fluid cytology of immature female mice. Immature female mice (strain CF-1 ; 24-28 animals/group) were given six s.c. aqueous injections of HCG ( 3, 2, 1) over 3 days in total doses of 1-0 or 10-0 i.u./ 0-6 ml. Injected control mice received distilled water only. On day 5, abdominal fluid was aspirated from the ventral surface of the animal and placed on an albumin coated slide and stained (Papanicolaou, 1963). Two hundred cells were counted and grouped as mesothelial cells, lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leucocytes, histiocytes, mast cells and bare nuclei. Each animal was then weighed, killed and autopsied. Uterine weights were obtained and expressed as mg/100 g body wt. Significance values were calculated by Student's i-test. HCG injected into immature female mice altered the cellular distribution of peri¬ toneal fluid in a manner similar to that of oestrogen (McGowan & Davis, 1970) (Table 1). One and ten i.u. of hormone lowered the proportion of mesothelial cells in a dose-response manner, from 69-0% (injected controls) to 49-7% (P < 0-001) which agrees with the relative uterine weight response. Bare nuclei counts were significantly higher in fluid aspirates from HCG-treated animals (P < 0-001) but histiocyte and
polymorphonuclear leucocyte percentages remained constant (P > 0-05). Mast cell (P < 0-001) and lymphocyte (P < 0-001) proportions were increased in fluid from mice receiving the high dose of hormone. The influence of HCG on peritoneal fluid was similar to that of oestrogen (except for polymorphonuclear leucocytes) but was un¬ like that of testosterone. Our results indicate that the cellular content of peritoneal fluid responds in a characteristic way to the administration of hormones. Table 1. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on the cellular distribution of peritoneal fluid of immature female mice (means + s.e.m.) Control
Distribution of cells Mesothelial cells
( %)
Lymphocytes Polymorphonuclear leucocytes Histiocytes
Mast cells Barenuclei
15-3 + 0-3
123-2 + 5-6
16-l±0-2
187-3+10-0
475-5 + 20-3
70-2±2-8
69-0±2-0
59-8±l-3
15-5 + 0-6 6-5 + 0-7
12-9+1-0 5-5 + 0-9
11-6 + 0-8 4-4 + 0-8
49-7 + 2-1 19-4+1-3 6-9 + 0-8
2-4 + 0-3 0-2 + 0-0
2-5 + 0-5 0-0 + 0-0 10-0+1-2
2-1 + 0-4 0-0 ±0-0 22-2+1-6
2-0 + 0-4 0-4+0-2 21-7 + 2-6
5-4±0-8 There
control
HCG (i.u.) ,-*-, 10 100
15-8 + 0-2 134-4 + 6-7
16-0±0-3
Bodywt(g) Uterine wt (mg/100 g body wt)
Injected
were
between 24 and 28 mice in each group.
REFERENCES
Davis, R. H. & McGowan, L. (1968). Anatomical Record 162, 357-362. Davis, R. H. & McGowan, L. (1970). Experientia 26, 1264-1265. Davis, R. H., McGowan, L. & Villanueva, E. (1969). Journal of Endocrinology 45, 313-314. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1968). Endocrinology 84, 175-177. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1969). American Journal of Clinical Pathology 51, 150-153. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1970). American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 106, 979-995. McGowan, L., Davis, R. H. & Kriesler, L. S. (1968). Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 128, 141-143. McGowan, L., Davis, R. H., Stein, D. B., Bebon, S. & Vaskelis, P. (1968). American Journal of Clinical Pathology 49, 506-511. Papanicolaou, G. N. (1963). Atlas of exfoliative cytology, edn 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard
University
Press.
AND
LINDA SHERMAN
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and *Anatomy, Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, U.S.A.
(Received 9 September 1974) Since the cellular composition of peritoneal fluid is altered by species, sex (Davis & McGowan, 1968), the oestrous (McGowan & Davis, 1968) and menstrual cycles (McGowan, Davis, Stein, Bebon & Vaskelis, 1968) as well as pregnancy (McGowan, Davis & Kriesler, 1968; McGowan & Davis, 1969), we believe that the cellular content of peritoneal fluid is affected in a characteristic manner by administration of hormones. Testosterone injected into castrated mice increases the percentages of mesothelial cells and histiocytes in serous fluid, with a corresponding decrease in bare nuclei (Davis, McGowan & Villanueva, 1969). On the other hand, oestrogen given to ovariectomized mice reduces the proportion of mesothelial cells and causes 'daisy cells' to appear in aspirated fluid (McGowan & Davis, 1970). Subcutaneous administration of cortisone also decreases the proportions of mesothelial cells as well as lymphocytes (Davis & McGowan, 1970). The present study attempts to determine the influence of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on peritoneal fluid cytology of immature female mice. Immature female mice (strain CF-1 ; 24-28 animals/group) were given six s.c. aqueous injections of HCG ( 3, 2, 1) over 3 days in total doses of 1-0 or 10-0 i.u./ 0-6 ml. Injected control mice received distilled water only. On day 5, abdominal fluid was aspirated from the ventral surface of the animal and placed on an albumin coated slide and stained (Papanicolaou, 1963). Two hundred cells were counted and grouped as mesothelial cells, lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leucocytes, histiocytes, mast cells and bare nuclei. Each animal was then weighed, killed and autopsied. Uterine weights were obtained and expressed as mg/100 g body wt. Significance values were calculated by Student's i-test. HCG injected into immature female mice altered the cellular distribution of peri¬ toneal fluid in a manner similar to that of oestrogen (McGowan & Davis, 1970) (Table 1). One and ten i.u. of hormone lowered the proportion of mesothelial cells in a dose-response manner, from 69-0% (injected controls) to 49-7% (P < 0-001) which agrees with the relative uterine weight response. Bare nuclei counts were significantly higher in fluid aspirates from HCG-treated animals (P < 0-001) but histiocyte and
polymorphonuclear leucocyte percentages remained constant (P > 0-05). Mast cell (P < 0-001) and lymphocyte (P < 0-001) proportions were increased in fluid from mice receiving the high dose of hormone. The influence of HCG on peritoneal fluid was similar to that of oestrogen (except for polymorphonuclear leucocytes) but was un¬ like that of testosterone. Our results indicate that the cellular content of peritoneal fluid responds in a characteristic way to the administration of hormones. Table 1. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on the cellular distribution of peritoneal fluid of immature female mice (means + s.e.m.) Control
Distribution of cells Mesothelial cells
( %)
Lymphocytes Polymorphonuclear leucocytes Histiocytes
Mast cells Barenuclei
15-3 + 0-3
123-2 + 5-6
16-l±0-2
187-3+10-0
475-5 + 20-3
70-2±2-8
69-0±2-0
59-8±l-3
15-5 + 0-6 6-5 + 0-7
12-9+1-0 5-5 + 0-9
11-6 + 0-8 4-4 + 0-8
49-7 + 2-1 19-4+1-3 6-9 + 0-8
2-4 + 0-3 0-2 + 0-0
2-5 + 0-5 0-0 + 0-0 10-0+1-2
2-1 + 0-4 0-0 ±0-0 22-2+1-6
2-0 + 0-4 0-4+0-2 21-7 + 2-6
5-4±0-8 There
control
HCG (i.u.) ,-*-, 10 100
15-8 + 0-2 134-4 + 6-7
16-0±0-3
Bodywt(g) Uterine wt (mg/100 g body wt)
Injected
were
between 24 and 28 mice in each group.
REFERENCES
Davis, R. H. & McGowan, L. (1968). Anatomical Record 162, 357-362. Davis, R. H. & McGowan, L. (1970). Experientia 26, 1264-1265. Davis, R. H., McGowan, L. & Villanueva, E. (1969). Journal of Endocrinology 45, 313-314. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1968). Endocrinology 84, 175-177. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1969). American Journal of Clinical Pathology 51, 150-153. McGowan, L. & Davis, R. H. (1970). American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 106, 979-995. McGowan, L., Davis, R. H. & Kriesler, L. S. (1968). Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 128, 141-143. McGowan, L., Davis, R. H., Stein, D. B., Bebon, S. & Vaskelis, P. (1968). American Journal of Clinical Pathology 49, 506-511. Papanicolaou, G. N. (1963). Atlas of exfoliative cytology, edn 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard
University
Press.
