The nuclear oestrogen receptor in the female rat. Effects of oestradiol administration during the oestrous cycle on the uterus and contrasting effects of progesterone on the uterus and hypothalamus

Oestradiol administration to immature or ovariectomized rats has been reported to increase the uterine content of long-term nuclear oestrogen receptors. However, in the intact adult female rat, oestradiol administration did not increase the concentration of long-term nuclear oestrogen receptors at all phases of the oestrous cycle. Progesterone administration to rats in late dioestrus did not affect the concentration of uterine nuclear oestrogen receptors 24 h later, although it did prevent the normal cyclic increase at pro-oestrus in the concentration of hypothalamic nuclear oestrogen receptors. Our results therefore show that in the intact adult rat, factors other than the concentration of progesterone or oestradiol determine the nuclear concentration of oestrogen receptors in the uterus. They also demonstrate differences between neural and non-neural tissues in the regulation of oestrogen-receptor interactions.