Changes in Erythrocytes of Hamsters Following Castration, Splenectomy, and Subsequent Liver, Iron, and Testosterone Injections

Abstract

Nine-teen hamsters (Cricetus auratus), 4th and 5th generation descendants from an original inbred litter of 4 animals, were utilized for studies of the red blood cells. The number of cells/cu. mm. increased from 5 to 9 million between the ages of 20 and 80 days. This rise in number was accompanied by a decrease in the size of the individual cells and in the mean corpuscular Hb. Castration (8 animals) caused a decrease in the number (25-30%) and in the size of erythrocytes. In animals castrated when young enough to have fewer cells than the number typical for castrates the count increased up to the castrate level. Splenectomy (5 animals) had the same effects as castration upon the number and size of erythrocytes and no additional change occurred when 4 castrated animals were splenectomized. Liver extract or Fe citrate injected daily for 3 days restored a normal count and normal avg. corpuscular volume in all operated animals, castrates, splenectomized, and splenectomized castrates. Testosterone injected for the same length of time was effective in castrates only and was ineffective in all splenectomized animals.