Abstract
The effect of hypophysectomy on the cellular immunological function has been studied in the female rats of Wister strain.They were divided into two groups, that is, hypophysectomizedand sham-operated rats.The sham-operated rats were were used as the controls.The resultsobtained were as follows.
(1) The increase in body weight was much retarded in the hypophysectomized rat, beingabout a half or less than a half of that in the control at 4-5 weeks after the operation.
(2) The weight of the thymus in the hypophysectomized rat at 4-5 weeks after theoperation was significantly lighter, as compared with that in the control.
(3) The mitogenic (Con A) proliferation of the thymus and lymphnode cells was studiedby means of 3H-thymidine incorporation.No significant difference in the proliferation wasobserved between the hypophysectomized rat and the control at 45 weeks after the operation.But the proliforation was remarkably suppressed in the hypophysectomized rat at 10-47 weeksafter the operation, as compared with that in the control.
(4) The delayed type allergic skin reaction was studied by means of immunizing the ratswith the emulsion of BSA and complete Freund adjuvant.The reactions in the hypophysectomizedrat immunized at 5 weeks after the operation were the same in severity as those in the control.But when immunized at 15 weeks after the operation, the hypophysectomized rat did not showthe reactions whereas the control did exhibit them.
(5) The influence of the sera upon the mitogenic (Con A) proliferation was studied.Thesera used were taken at 4-5, 10-42 and 15-47 weeks after the operation, respectively.Noinfluence was observed in the case of the hypophysectomized rat, as well as in the case of thecontrol.
