Changes in the Tibial Epiphyseal Cartilage of the Rat Following Adrenalectomy and Gonadectomy
Date
1954
DOI
Authors
Buffett, Rita Frances
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
The present investigation was undertaken to study the effects of adrenalectomy, gonadectomy, and adreno-gonadectomy on the region of the proximal tibial epiphyseal cartilage plate in male and female rats. Although considerable attention has been directed in recent years to the effects of hypophysectomy, thyroidectomy, and the administration
of growth, thyroid, adrenocortical, and sex hormones on cartilage growth, there has been little emphasis on the effects of adrenalectomy or gonadectomy.
Littermate rats of the Long-Evans strain were segregated into five groups which were to be sacrificed at 80 to 99, 100 to 124, 125 to 149, 150 to 174, and 175 to 200 days of age, respectively. Each group was in turn subdivided into control, adrenalectomized, gonadectomized, and adreno-gonadectomized groups. All animals were maintained on Purina
laboratory chow and water ad libitum, the adrenalectomized animals being given one per cent saline drinking water. The experimental animals were sacrificed three weeks postoperatively.
At autopsy, both tibiae were removed from each animal, and one was split sagittally, stained with silver nitra.te, and the width of its uncalcified epiphyseal cartilage measured immediately with a calibrated ocular micrometer. Mean cartilage widths (and standard deviations) were calculated for the similarly treated animals of each sex in each of the five age groups, and the accumulated data analyzed statistically by means of the Student-Fisher t-test and the Cochran and Cox test.
The uncalcified cartilage in adrenalectomized males and females, gonadectomized females, and adreno-gonadectomized males and females,in all age groups, showed a statistically significant increase in width over that of littermate controls. The increase in width became progressively greater with increasing age, and was slightly greater in adrenalectomized females than in adrenalectomized males. It was of approximately the same magnitude in gonadectomized females as in adrenalectomized females; in adreno-gonadectomized males it approximated that in adrenalectomized males; and it was somewhat greater in adreno-gonadectomized females than in either adrenalectomized or gonadectomized females. The uncalcified cartilage of gonadectomized males showed a statistically significant increase in width in only one age group (100 to 124 days), where it approximated that in adrenalectomized males. [TRUNCATED]
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University
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Based on investigation of the BU Libraries' staff, this work is free of known copyright restrictions.