ADRENALECTOMY IN PREGNANT RATS. EFFECTS ON OFFSPRING

Abstract

The offspring of adrenalectomized rats were found to have a slightly lower birth weight than the offspring of control rats. At equal birth weights no differences in body length and water content were found between the two groups. One reason for the lowered birth weight might be the demonstrated reduced food intake of the adrenalectomized rats and their impaired metabolism due to the adrenalectomy. Among the fetal endocrine organs, the adrenals and thyroid were hyperplastic whilst the islets of Langerhans were hypoplastic. The reason for these changes in organ volume is discussed in the light of our present knowledge of the action of fetal hormones in the rat and the inter-action between these and the maternal hormones. It is postulated that for their bodily development, rat fetuses are comparatively independent of the mother rat''s endocrine balance, a view borne out by the fact that fetal bodily growth is comparatively little affected by such a serious interference in the maternal endocrine balance as adrenalectomy.