THE PITUITARY BODY 



versal of castration changes in the pituitary of the rat." It 

 is well known that several oestrogens and androgens cause 

 reversal of the changes, so that the pituitary may assume a 

 normal appearance both grossly and microscopically. Hohl- 

 weg (1935) insisted that progesterone alone (0.54 mg. daily 

 for 15 days to adult or immature spayed rats) does not alter 

 the changes in the pituitary due to gonadectomy. The results 

 of Migliavacca (1936) agreed with those of Hohlweg. There- 

 fore the findings of Clauberg and Breipohl to the contrary 

 lack confirmation. Nelson and Gallagher (1935-36), in agree- 

 ment with others, found that male hormone whether from 

 urine or testis prevents castration changes in the rat's pitui- 

 tary. Similar effects with two pure androgens, androstane 

 diol and androstene dione, were also described.'^ Carcino- 

 genic substances (benzpyrene and a dibenzanthracene diol)'^ 

 can prevent the pituitary changes due to gonadectomy 

 (Wolfe, 1936; and Tuchmann, 1937). 



The effects of oestrogenic and androgenic substances on 

 the pars glandularis are, of course, not limited to the correc- 

 tion of gonadectomy changes. In the past few years several 

 authors have reported on the changes appearing in the pitui- 

 tary of normal animals, both immature and adult (mouse, rat, 

 guinea pig, and rabbit), particularly after the injection of 

 oestradiol benzoate or oestrone.'^ The alterations about to 

 be described vary, depending upon dosage, preparation used, 

 duration of injections, sex, age, etc. The variations for the 

 purpose of this review, however, are not sufficiently impor- 



" The relative importance of the interstitial cells and the germinal epithelium 

 in preventing "castration" changes in the pituitary remains undecided. De Fremery 

 (1936) minimizes the importance of the "sex hormones." 



"Other experiments with androgens have been reported by Allanson, Hohlweg, 

 Wolfe and Hamilton, and Yanagita. 



'3 See also the report of Tuchmann and Demay (1936). 



'•< 1935: Nelson, Wolfe, Wolfe and Phelps; 1936: Halpern and D'Amour, Wolfe, 

 Wolfe and Chadwick; 1937: Wolfe. It appears that luteinization of the ovaries is 

 definitely associated with the pituitary changes in female rats. Martins (1936) could 

 detect an increased vascularity of the pituitary, transplanted to the anterior cham- 

 ber of the eye, 24-48 hours after the injection of a large dose of oestradiol benzoate. 



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