THE ACCELERATING EFFECT OF ADRENALECTOMY ON REGROWTH OF HAIR IN THE THYROIDECTOMIZED RAT

Abstract

THE accelerating effect of adrenalectomy on hair growth in the rat is a well established fact, data on which have been reviewed by Baker (1951). This is a curious phenomenon for which there is no ready explanation. If hair growth is a part of general somatic growth, it would be expected to be altered with changes in the pituitary acidophils that secrete growth hormone (somatotrophic hormone, STH). A method for depleting the pituitary of acidophil granules is by thyroidectomy, after which there is known to be retardation of the hair growth. One might expect the loss of acidophil granules in the thyroidectomized rat to prevent the accelerated growth of hair after adrenalectomy. This hypothesis was tested by the experiments to be reported here; the results, however, were found to be the direct opposite of those anticipated. This unexpected finding was clear-cut and constant. methods For the experiments were used groups of rats of a colony of Wistar albino strain,