
studies on growth hormone secretion
in rats with the hypophysis autotransplanted
to the kidney capsule
the secretory capacity of the pituitary gland, autotransplanted to the
kidney capsule, was studied with special regard to the secretion of growth
hormone (gh).  body weight, body length, tibial epiphyseal width and
the mammary gland development after testosterone stimulation were
studied.
body growth and tibial epiphyseal width were markedly reduced in the
rats with transplanted hypophysis, but not as much as in the hypophys-
ectomized controls.  after injections of 0.25 mg testosterone propionate
daily for 10 days, only a few groups of alveoli were seen in the mam-
mary glands of the transplanted rats.  these observations show that there
is a considerable deficiency of gh in rats with the pituitary gland auto-
transplanted to the kidney capsule.  however, the development of a few
alveoli in the mammary glands is in favour of the theory that a small
amount of gh is secreted from the transplanted pituitary tissue.
injections of a purified vasopressin preparation (pitressin) in the rats
with autotransplanted hypophysis did not influence body growth, tibial
epiphyseal width or mammary gland development.  further, no effect of
pitressin was seen on the tibial epiphyseal cartilage of rats with intact
pituitary gland as has been reported by del vecchio et al. (1958) and
hiroshige & itoh (1960).  these experiments therefore do not support the
view that vasopressin acts as a gh releasing factor.
