Effect of Thyroidectomy, Castration, and Replacement Therapy on Thymus, Lymph Nodes, Spleen in Male Rats.

Abstract

1. Evidence is presented that there is a relationship in the reactions of the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes to the effects of castration, thyroidectomy, and treatment with thyroxin or testosterone propionate, or combinations of these in the male rat. 2. Castration and thyroxin cause comparable increases in the weights of thymus, lymph nodes and spleen. Thyroidectomy and treatment with testosterone propionate tend to decrease the weights of these tissues. Thyroidectomy and testosterone propionate prevent the increase in the weights of thymus, spleen and lymph nodes which follow castration. The order of decreasing sensitivity to the stimuli employed is as follows: thymus. cervical lymph nodes, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen. 3. A positive coefficient of correlation of 0.591 ± 0.080 was calculated from the data derived from the above experiments for the thymus and the cervical lymph nodes. This is further evidence of a similarity in reaction of these tissues.