THE ESTROUS CYCLE AND WEIGHTS OF ORGANS IN RELATION TO THE HYPOPHYSIS IN THE HAIRLESS RAT

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Abstract
The spleen, pituitary, thyroids and testes are similar in wt. in the oo of the albino, heterozygous and hairless strains studied. The kidneys and adrenals are larger in heterozygous and hairless rats of both sexes. The ovaries and uterus are smaller in the hairless than in heterozygous and albino [female][female]. The estrous cycles are prolonged in the diestrous phase, usually irregular and often absent. The hairless [female] may give birth to young but is unable to lactate. The gonad-stimulating hormone of the hypophysis is greatest in amt. in hairless [male][male] and [female][female], intermediate in the heterozygous and least in albino rats. After castration in hairless and heterozygous [female][female] the pituitary is inferior to the pituitaries of castrated albino rats as judged by the implant method of testing. Several investigators have suggested that the amt. of theelin normally present in the blood of [female] rats regulates the hypophysis so as to vary or control the conc, of the pituitary sex hormone in the blood. In the hairless [female] rat, then, this regulatory mechanism of theelin and other hormones seems not to function properly, and irregularity in the estrous cycles results.

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