361new epithelium.The significance of glycogen deposition in squamous metaplasia of the uterus following vit. A deficiency and the biochemical enzyme systems involved is not known a t the present time. There is evidence that the most important single factor which determines the rate of mitosis in tissue, such as mammalian epidermis, is the energy supply within the cells which depends upon the intracellular availability of glucose derivatives( 5 ) . If it can be assumed that because of increased mitotic activity the energy requirements of rnetaplastic epithelial cells is greater than for normal uterine epithelial cells, then the glycogen present in the metaplastic cells may be a source of readily utilizable energy.The present results on glycogen deposition in epithelial metaplasia differs from the observation made in the human( 6). In one instance a single squamous metaplastic cervical gland of one patient was reported to be free of glycogen. Since there appears to be a difference in glycogen deposition in squamous metaplasia, investigations are under way to determine whether the deposition of glycogen in stratified squamous metaplasia is peculiar to the changes following vit. A deficiency or whether the deposition of glycogen occurs in all epithelial metaplasia.Summary. In the epithelial metaplasia of the rat uterus that occurred following vit. A deficiency, glycogen was observed in the stratified epithelium. An earlier report showed that the normal uterine epithelium of the rat uterus contains no glycogen.

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