EFFECTS ON THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT 409 



Kammerer ('13) observed that among Salamandra maculosa in captivity, 

 whether full-fed or underfed, the gonads remained small and undeveloped, 

 "verkummert und von einem ungeheuren Fettkorper begleitet." Bardier 

 ('13) reviewed the previous work on the effects of inanition upon the gonads. 



Rondoni and Montagnani ('15) in fasting guinea pigs noted an apparent 

 decrease in spermatogenesis. But few mature spermatozoa appeared in the 

 seminiferous tubules, which were filled rather with granular or filamentous 

 detritus. Morgulis, Howe and Hawk ('15) found no mitosis in the testes of 

 dogs which had died from protracted inanition. The nuclei were large and 

 round, with the chromatin usually massed on one side, resembling 

 synizesis. 



In adult albino rats, Jackson ('15) found in the acute inanition series (with 

 loss of Z2> P er cent i n body weight) a loss of 30 per cent in the testes; and in the 

 chronic inanition series (body loss 36 per cent) a loss of 40 per cent in the testes 

 (Table 4). In younger albino rats, held at constant body weight by under- 

 feeding from 3 to 10 weeks of age, Jackson ('15a) noted an increase of 34 per 

 cent in weight of the testes, with but little change in those similarly underfed 

 from 10 weeks to 8 months of age (Table 4). In still younger rats, underfed 

 from birth for various periods, Stewart ('18, '19) found still greater increases in 

 testis weight, reaching (in the series held at birth weight for 16 days) the 

 astonishing maximum of 374 per cent! In this series the epididymides were 

 likewise 225 per cent above normal weight (Table 4). In the stunted offspring 

 of severely underfed pregnant albino rats, Barry ('20, '21) found the testes 

 onlv 16 per cent above normal (for corresponding body weight) (Table 4). 



In albino rats amply refed after maintenance (constant body weight) by 

 underfeeding from 3 to 12 weeks of age, Stewart ('16) concluded that the testes 

 and epididymides were probably somewhat below normal weight for a few weeks, 

 but became practically normal before the adult stage was reached. In albino 

 rats underfed from birth to 3 weeks of age and then refed to 25 or 50 g. in body 

 weight, Jackson and Stewart ('19) noted that the testes remained slightly 

 (17-19 per cent) above normal weight, while in those refed to 75 g. body weight, 

 the testes averaged 45-49 per cent subnormal (Table 7). The epididymides 

 in the first case were nearly normal in weight, whereas in the second case they 

 were 17-27 per cent subnormal (Table 7). In rats underfed from birth to 

 3 or 10 weeks, and then refed to adult stage, Jackson and Stewart ('20) found 

 the testes 9-18 per cent above normal in weight; and in those refed after 

 underfeeding from 3 to 20 weeks of age. or longer, the testes were 17-30 

 per cent above normal (Table 8). In all cases, the epididymides appeared 

 24-34 per cent above normal in the rats refed to adult condition. 



In contrast with Nussbaum's results, Swingle ('18) observed in the larvae 

 of Rana pipiens starved for over 100 days (from emergence from the egg cap- 

 sule) an inhibition of growth and development in the gonads, including both 

 germ cells and interstitial tissue. 



In starved pigeons with loss of about 40 per cent in body weight, McCarrison 

 ('19, '21) found an enormous loss of over 80 per cent in the weights of the testes 

 (Fig. 35)- 



