Endogenous oxygen uptake of the hypothalamus in female rats

¹ Institute of Physiology, Buenos Aires Medical School and Hospital Instituto de Cardiologia, Fundación Pombo de Rodríguez, National Academy of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The endogenous oxygen uptake has been determined in the hypothalamus, brain, hypophysis, and uterus of female rats. With the exception of the brain, similar changes have been detected in connection with estrous phases in all of these organs: lower respiratory rates were observed during diestrus and higher ones during estrus. Estradiol and progesterone were added in vitro to hypothalamus and brain slices of estrous and diestrous rats. Although both hormones consistently depressed the Qo₂ in brain, such effects were seen only in the hypothalamus of estrous animals.

Key Words: gonadal hormones and hypothalamus • hypothalamus and estradiol • hypothalamus and progesterone • estrus cycle and hypophyseal Qo₂ • estrus cycle and hypothalamic Qo₂ neuroendocrine relationships • nervous tissue Qo₂ during estrus cycle • uterine metabolism and estrogens

Submitted on August 19, 1963