Organ Weights in Rats with Rickets 181 

 85 (2045) 



Organ weights in albino rats with experimental rickets. 



By C. M. JACKSON and RACHEL CARLETON. 



[From the Department of Anatomy, University of Minnesota. 

 Minneapolis, Minn.] 



Of the 118 rats used for this work, 37 were normal controls 

 and 81 were young rats which had been fed various diets by 

 Professor McClendon to produce experimental rickets. 1 The 

 81 test rats were autopsied and classified on the basis of gross 

 skeletal appearance and previous X-ray examination as follows : 

 27 apparently normal, or nearly so; 19 with slight rickets; 19 

 with moderate rickets; and 16 with severe rickets. The diag- 

 nosis was also confirmed by microscopic examination, although 

 the histological changes were found somewhat variable. 



The weights of the various organs and parts were compared 

 with the norms for corresponding body length or weight estab- 

 lished by Hatai, Jackson and Donaldson. The percentage devia- 

 tion was calculated for each organ and averaged for the five 

 groups. The chief results are briefly summarized. 



The body weight and tail length appear nearly normal (for 

 corresponding body length) in all. In the rachitic rats the 

 organs may be grouped as follows : 



A decrease occurs in the weight of the integument, hypophy- 

 sis, dry skeleton, empty stomach and intestine, and especially 

 in the thymus. 



An increase occurs in the weight of the eyeballs, heart, gas- 

 trointestinal contents, and especially in the submaxillary glands, 

 kidneys and suprarenals. 



No regular changes of importance were noted in the weight 

 of the head, ligamentous and cartilaginous (moist) skeleton, 

 musculature, brain, lungs, liver, spleen, ovaries, testes and 

 epididymides, although marked variations occur in some groups. 



i Pboc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Mm, 1922, xix, 356. 



