ANDROGEN INFLUENCE ON PITUITARY-GONAD INTERRELATIONSHIP

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Abstract
White Leghorn cockerels were caponized at 5 days of age and injd. from the 10th to 39th day with testosterone Dropionate (T.P.). The amts. administered daily were: none, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 50 [mu]g. Cockerels were given sesame oil over the same period and served as controls. Comb-factors (H x L mm.)2 were detd. at 10, 16, 21, 26, 31, 35, and 40 days of age and comb wts., body wts., and pituitary wts. were taken at autopsy. Pituitary weights of capons were depressed by dosages of T.P. in excess of 1.0 [mu]g. daily and the 50 fig. daily dosage reduced the wt. to below that of the males. Pituitary assay, however, showed that the amt. of gonadotropin per mg. of gland was not reduced until the 50 [mu]g. level was reached. A cytological study showed that the basophiles were large and numerous in all capon series except those to which the 50 ug. of T.P. was admd. and in that series the basophiles were small and reduced in number. Calculation of regression equations for the effect of T.P. on comb-factors, comb wts. and pituitary wts. made it possible to estimate in terms of testosterone propionate equivalency the amt. of androgen secreted by cockerels between 10 and 40 days of age. These amts. were 614.9, 630, and 621 [mu]g., respectively.