THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND BIOASSAY OF PROSTAGLANDINS IN EXTRACTS OF SEMEN AND TISSUES OF THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT.

By acid ether extraction and thin-layer chromatography, prostaglandins have been separated from biologically active compounds of other chemical groups. The technique does not, however, separate different prostaglandins from each other. The biological activity of the eluates was estimated on the rabbit isolated jejunum and the hamster isolated colon preparations in terms of prostaglandin E(1); the concentrations (thus expressed) of prostaglandin in human semen ranged from 24 to 783 mug/ml. with a mean of 226 mug/ml. No prostaglandins (minimal detectable concentration, 0.5 mug/g) could be detected in the male reproductive organs of several species of laboratory animal.