ArticleFlood PF, Betteridge KJ, Irvine DS.
J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1979(27):413-20.
Six samples of blastocoele fluid recovered between 10 and 22 days gestation were tested in human clinical radioimmunoassay systems measuring total oestrogens and total androgens. The results were erratic but in 5 cases measurements for oestrogen equivalent to between 1000 and 70,000 pg/ml and for androgen between 1000 and 85,000 pg/ml were recorded. Cells from two blastocysts were cultured in medium 199 with and without horse serum. When the used media were assayed, values equivalent to at least 8000 pg oestrogen/ml were obtained on 7 of 11 occasions. In 9 of 11 samples the androgen concentration exceeded 700 pg/ml. In control media the oestrogen and androgen concentrations did not exceed 120 and 360 pg/ml respectively.