THE EFFECT OF ANTERIOR PITUITARY EXTRACT ON THE DEVELOPING ALBINO MOUSE*

Abstract

Daily injection of bovine anterior pituitary extract (alkaline, later neutralized and filtered) into 21 [female] and 14 [male] albino mice produced at 70 days of age an increase in growth over that of 11 control [female][female] and 14 control [male][male], which were injected with physiological salt solution. This increase was more marked in the [female][female] than in the [male][male]. The extract produced a marked increase in the size of the ovaries after the age of 55 days through excessive lutein body formation and persistence. Only one experimental [female] had a normal ovary with the few corpora lutea associated with normal function, and this was a pregnant animal. Increased lutein formation was associated with sterility, but apparently also with an excess number of tubal ova. None of the control [female][female] had an excessive number of corpora lutea. In the injected [male][male] 7 showed hardening of the testicular wall. Some showed an increase in interstitial tissue and there was some destruction of seminal epithelium. Excess colloid was formed in some of the Cowper''s glands. The experimental [male][male] showed a very high degree of sterility compared to the normal [male][male].