THE EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCTION OF HYPOTYPICAL OVARIES THROUGH UNDERFEEDING A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF STERILITY

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Underfeeding, if very pronounced, prevents maturation of the follicles in the ovaries of the guinea pigs in all cases and in the large majority of cases leads to the production of hypotypical ovaries in which atresia of follicles sets in before the follicles have reached medium size. Underfeeding leads to a premature solution of granulosa cells. Connective tissue is more resistant to lack of food than the granulosa. The uterus in cases of underfeeding is in a resting or atrophic condition. Thus underfeeding produces at least temporary sterility. Those cells farthest removed from the blood vessels suffer first as the result of underfeeding, die and become dissolved, while in those granulosa cells which remain alive the growth stimulus which in part at least emanates from the ovum causes for a short time a normal cell proliferation. Just as the underfeeding produces more pronounced general effects in younger animals, the effect on the ovaries is likewise more marked in younger animals. Through underfeeding it is, however, possible to produce a hypotypical condition even in old guinea pigs. In those animals which had been pregnant at the beginning of the experiment underfeeding led to abortion. There exists a noteworthy analogy in the relation of cell proliferation to cell destruction in the hypotypical ovaries and in stationary or retrogressing tumors. Our results emphasize the distinction between food stuffs and proliferative cell stimuli and they may in addition throw light on the condition of the ovaries during pregnancy.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: