THE EFFECT OF GROWTH HORMONE ON HEMATOPOIESIS IN HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED ADULT FEMALE RATS1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Adult female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were divided into 3 groups (1) normal controls, (2) hypophysectomized for 125 days, and (3) hypophysectomized for 75 days followed by growth hormone therapy for 50 more days. Hypophysectomy induced a hypoplasia of the bone marrow which was due to a 26% decrease in total nucleated cells per cubic millimeter of marrow tissue; this decrease consisted of a loss in both erythroid and myeloid elements. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in peripheral erythrocytes, hematocrit reading, and hemoglobin values of 14%; the anemia was of the normocytic-normochromic type. Growth hormone therapy in hypophysectomized anemic rats produced a hyperplasia of the bone marrow, the erythroid elements responding in a more marked fashion than the myeloid elements; the changes were accompanied by an increase in reticulocyte percentage. In spite of this growth of the marrow, the peripheral anemia was not altered; blood volume studies did not support the view that this lack of effect on the peripheral blood picture was due to a hemodilution.