Hormonal contraceptive like effect of estrogen in milk protein-fed male rats.

Adult male rats received daily injections (sc) of estradiol-17 beta (50 microg/100 g body wt per day) for 7 days. When they were sacrificed 14 days after the last injection, serum levels of gonadotropins and testosterone and weights of accessory sex organs were decreased significantly, testicular 17-hydroxysteroid dehydroganase activity was suppressed and spermatogenesis was inhibited in 5.0% casein-fed estrogen-treated rats. Feeding of 20.0% casein diet to estrogen-treated rats resulted in increased serum concentration of gonadotropins and testosterone. LH and testosterone appeared to be normal in 20.0% casein-fed estrogen-treated rats while serum FSH levels remained subnormal. The estrogen-treated rats fed on 20.0% casein diet showed decreased spermatogenesis in comparison with control rats fed on 20.0% casein diet. Together, these results indicate that high casein diet stimulates synthesis of testicular testosterone and increases serum LH levels more than FSH in estrogen-treated rats. It is concluded that estrogen in the presence of high milk protein diet may be considered to be a suitable steroid hormone in the development of a male contraceptive.

Influence of moonlight on the birth of male and female babies.

Effects of full moon and no moon on the birth of male and female offsprings were studied in Indian Couples of the age group 20 to 40 years. It was observed that 42 wives who were conceived within 24 hours of ovulation at full moon gave birth of 40 male and 2 female babies. On the other hand 40 women conceived on the day of ovulation 3 days prior to full moon gave birth of 13 male and 27 female babies. But only 5 women conceived on no moon, all of them gave birth of female babies. It was also observed that vaginal pH of the ovulated women during full moon was alkaline (pH 8.7 +/- 0.4) while pH was weak acidic in women ovulated 3 days prior to full moon and no moon (pH 6.4 +/- 0.5; 6.2 +/- 0.5). The basal body temperature (BBT) was increased 0.7 degrees F to 1.3 degrees F during the ovulation period when compared with women during the absence of ovulation. But there is an increase in temperature 0.5 degrees F more in women ovulated in full moon than no moon. Together, these results indicate that alkaline vaginal fluid medium and more rise of BBT during full moon favour conception of male [corrected] babies. This method gives the couple more chance of having male child if conception occurs in the day of ovulation in full moon and having female child if conception occurs in no moon.