Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology, Ukrainian Institute of Pharmacotherapy of Endocrine Diseases, Ukrainian Ministry of Public Health, Kharkov, Ukraine.
The effect of vegetable (peach kernel) oil on the somatic development and puberty of female rats was studied. The oil was injected (0.2 ml) once intramuscularly into the prepuberty (aged 35 days) or (at the age of 31-35 days) five times. The oil inhibited dose-dependently the somatic development of the rats before puberty. It inhibited the ovarian endocrine function, significantly delayed the initial (opening of the vagina) and terminal (ovulation) stages of puberty or suppressed it completely (in 30% of cases).