The essential role of the adrenal cortex in the hypertrophy of the ovotestis following ovariectomy in the hen

Hewitt, William F.

doi:10.1002/ar.1090980206

Cited by 11 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…It seems that adrenals activity starts earlier than the testes, then effects on it causing the pubertal rapid increase in testes size and components. Adrenals have a definite effect on testes size, adrenalectomy decreases testes size and causes their degeneration (Hewitt, 1947). Although Fay and WL cockerels had relatively the same adrenals absolute weight, their two reciprocal crosses showed adrenals of nearly the same weight and were heavier than their parents.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybridization Effects on the Gonads and Endocrines of Cockerels

Kamar¹,

Mostageer²

1960

Poultry Science

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybridization Effects on the Gonads and Endocrines of Cockerels

Kamar¹,

Mostageer²

1960

Poultry Science

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The adrenal cortex testicular relations in the fowl: The effect of castration and replacement therapy on the adrenal cortex

Kar

1947

Anat. Rec.

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INTRODUCTIONThe problem of adreno-gonadal relationship in the mammals has been the subject of much study and research in the past. Grollman ('42) found no evidence of any intimate relationship between the gonads and the adrenal cortex proper apart from thc so-called "foetal zone." The converse of this observation is given in the works of Kolmer ( '12), Korenchevsky et al. ('35), and others, confirmed by the recent papers (Bourne aiid Zuckerman, '40a and '40b ; Schilling and Laqueur, '41; Selye and Albert, '42; Selye et al., '43; and Sarason, '43). However, comparable studies with birds have been meager. Herrick and Trostveit ( '38) demonstrated that in cockerels adrenalectomy caused coiisiderable atrophy of the testes and on the basis of this finding they concluded that the adrenals have an important role in maintaining the testes of the fowl. Recently Hewitt ('47) has confirmed Herrick and Trostveit 's observations and has further established that in the hen the presence of the adrenal is necessary to the conversion of the right rudimentary gonad into a testis-like organ following ovariectomy. €t is now a commonplace that in the mammals castration causes hypertrophy of the adrenals and I77 178AMIYA B. KAR that this effect can be prevented by liornioiic therapy (vide Eurrows, '45). Rreneman ( '42) reported an enlargement of the adrenals in the castrated fowl and this castration hypertrophy was considerably diminished by the iiijection of testosterone propioiiate or diethylstilbestrol. However, his studies were based on gross weight changes in the gland and consequently do not provide any information coiicerning the liistocliemical a i d cytological changes in the adrenal cortex wliich follow castration. The present investigation was therefore uiiclertakeii to provide additional data on these points. An attempt has also been made to throw some light 011 the i*elationship between the adrenal cortex and the testes in the fond. PROCEDURESingle Comb White Leghorns from the Cornell experimental flock were used in this investigation. A total of 54 cockerels, 44 days old were involved in this study. Out of the total of 54 birds, 37 were castrated and the remaining 17 were left unoperated. The distribution of the castrates and the controls for different experimental purposcs is indicated in table 1. The body weight aiid the comb nieasurenieiit of the birds were taken a t the coni~nencemeiit of the experiment and were continued at an interval of 15 days. The final body weight and the comb measurement were taken 011 the day of autopsy. All tlie birds were kept iii cages under identical husbandry conditions throughout the duration of the experimental period.The comb was used as the criterion for measuring effects of the adniinistratiori of testosterone propionate aiid the daily dosage used was 0.3 mg in 0.1 em3 of sesame oil intramuscularly, adequate to maintain the comb in the capons (Caridroit and RQgnier, '38). An equal amount of diethylstilbestrol was injected in 0.1 em3 of sesame oil intramuscularly. The hormone thera...

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