THE EFFECT OF THE EXCISION OF DIFFERENT SEXUAL ORGANS ON THE DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH AND LONGEVITY OF THE ALBINO RAT

Abstract

When the operations in males for vasectomy and castration, and in the females for hysterectomy and ovariectomy were performed at an age before sexual maturity the following results occurred The vaginal membrane disappeared in hysterectomized rats at the average age of 46 days. This is approximately normal. In ovariectomized rats the average age was 92 days. The average daily spontaneous activity in revolutions at the age of 200 days for the [male][male] was: Normals, 12,798; vasectomized, 760; castrated, 179. For the [female][female] : Normals 11,068; hysterectomized, 8,786; ovariectomized, 123. The average daily food intake in calories at the age of 200 days for the [male][male] was: Normals, 101.28; vasectomized, 54.70; castrated, 55.40. For the [female][female] it was: Normals, 74.50; hysterectomized, 67.90; ovariectomized, 45.20. The percentage of energy available for growth and basal metabolism at the age of 200 days for the [male][male] was: Normals, 27.5; vasectomized, 78.9; castrated, 83.3. For the [male][male] it was: Normals, 26.9; hysterectomized, 34.5; ovariectomized, 84.2. The gonadectomized animals had the greatest maximum weight in each sex. In the [male][male] this was due to a greater deposition of fat. In the [female][female] it was due to both a greater accumulation of fat and to an increase in body length. The growth of the different groups is correlated with the amount of energy available for growth and basal metabolism. Both sexes of gonadectomized animals showed a complete lack of sex instinct or activity. Normal conditions followed the other operations. The vasectomized group had the greatest body length at death of any of the [male][male]. The ovariectomized group of [female][female] surpassed in body length the other groups of the same sex. The average life span in days from longest to shortest in the [male][male] was: Normals, 788; castrated, 770; vasectomized, 685. For the [female][female] it was: Normals, 863; hysterectomized, 855; ovariectomized, 755. Most of the deaths in the [male] groups were due to lung lesions. There was 1 death due possibly to old age. In the [female] groups lung infection was the principal cause of death. In some cases there were complications, such as old age, intestinal disturbance, and tumors. Tumors were found in approximately 10% in each of the normal and hysterectomized groups. They were not found in any of the other groups of either sex.