Influence of thymectomy on growth of secondary reproductive structures in rats

Abstract

Ventral prostate glands and seminal vesicles of Long-Evans rats, thymectomized at 6–6 1/2 weeks of age and autopsied 3 weeks later, were significantly heavier than those of sham-operated rats. Values for thymectomized rats were as great as or greater than those for unoperated controls. The influence of thymectomy and sham operation was less pronounced when surgery was performed on rats which had not yet entered or had completed the most rapid phase of sexual development. A possible role of the thymus gland in the response to stress is discussed.