Abstract
The peptide hormone oxytocin has two well-defined functions: it stimulates uterine muscle contractions during parturition and facilitates the milk ejection response during lactation. The active posterior pituitary principle was named oxytocin (Gr. Oxys, sharp; Tokos, birth) as a result of its action on the uterus which was first described by Dale (1906, 1909) and Blair-Bell (1909). These two actions of oxytocin have been described comprehensively over several decades. In 1959, Armstrong and Hansel published data which tentatively pointed to another role for oxytocin in the control of luteal function in the cow: exogenous oxytocin given early in the estrous cycle caused premature regression of the corpus luteum.
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Sheldrick, E.L., Flint, A.P.F. (1987). Secretion of Oxytocin by the Corpus Luteum and its Role in Luteolysis in the Sheep. In: Leung, P.C.K., Armstrong, D.T., Ruf, K.B., Moger, W.H., Friesen, H.G. (eds) Endocrinology and Physiology of Reproduction. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1971-7_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1971-7_17
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