Morphological Changes in the Growing Rat Skull Following Administration of Cortisone Acetate.

Abstract

Disproportionate changes in skull and brain morphology followed the subcutaneous administration of 50 ug/g of cortisone to neonatal rats. The visceral skull vault showed greater retardation than the neural skull vault. The cerebrum and neural skull vault also showed disproportionate dimensional changes leading to increasing brachycephalization. The growing rat brain and molar teeth are competent morphogenic agents. Under these experimental conditions, they are capable of overcoming the relatively greater retardation of related bone, and of thus providing for their own functional protection and support.