PINEALECTOMY IN SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS OF RATS

Abstract

All test animals were pinealectomized at the ages of 20-21 days. The P1 generation of test animals was made up of 5 pairs of rats and produced 106 offspring in the F1 generation. 6 pairs of these were used as parents of the F2 generation and produced 149 offspring. Two pairs of these were used as parents of the F3 generation and produced 24 offspring. All parent control animals were subjected to a control operation, in which the pineal body was exposed, but not removed. There were 97 animals born in the control group. Pinealectomy of 3 successive generations of parent rats at the ages of 20 to 21 days produced no appreciable effect upon the body wt., body length, the rate of development, or the histological structure of the endocrine glands of the offspring.