STUDIES ON THE GLYCOPROTEINS OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL: II. THE HEXOSAMINE CONTENT OF CERTAIN TISSUES OF THE SEXUALLY IMMATURE PULLET AND SOME EFFECTS THEREON OF GONADAL HORMONES

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The concentration of total hexosamine (as free base) in the dry matter of tissues of the pullet was high in cartilage (8.0 mg/g) and in oviduct (6.4 mg/g); medium in comb and wattles, tendon, and lungs (3.0 to 5.5 mg/g); and low in voluntary muscle (1.5 mg/g). Dry defatted skin contained 8.3 mg/g. Total serum hexosamine was 52 mg/100 ml and was increased significantly to about 67 mg/100 ml by treatment with estradiol benzoate (ODB) and to about 72 mg/100 ml by ODB plus testosterone propionate (TST). Serum protein was also increased significantly by the hormonal treatments, but to a relatively greater extent. The magnum of the hypertrophied oviducts of pullets treated with ODB was relatively high in dry matter (22.0%), and this dry matter was relatively rich in hexosamine (13.8 mg/g) and low in hydroxyproline (2.9 mg/g). The dry matter of the uterus and vagina was relatively low in hexosamine (6.0 mg/g) and rich in hydroxyproline (5.7 and 10.5 mg/g for uterus and vagina respectively). Concurrent administration of ODB and TST led to a greater degree of hypertrophy of the oviducts than did administration of ODB alone; both the weight and total hexosamine content of the magnum showed a greater relative increase than did the values for vagina and uterus. Some modifications of the method of determining the hexosamine content of tissues are described.