THE EFFECTS OF PURIFIED GONADOTROPHINS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF THE TESTES AND THUMB PADS OF THE NORMAL AND HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED AUTUMN FROG (<i>RANA PIPIENS</i>)1

Abstract

THE present paper is concerned with the morphological and histochemical changes that are induced in the testes of the normal and hypophysectomized autumn frog by injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and of highly purified mammalian follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and luteotrophic hormone (LTH (prolactin)). Observations are also included on the structural changes in the thumb pads which, in the male frog, is a secondary sex character. Two excellent reviews by Houssay (1) and van Oordt (2) have recently appeared which cover the background of the problem and pay particular attention to the effects of gonadotrophic hormone in amphibia. Adult male frogs, weighing approximately 40 grams, were procured from a Vermont dealer during the first week of November; they were placed at room temperature (24° C) in community tanks wet with running tap water at 18° C, and were not fed. During the second week of November they were separated into one control group of 5 animals and te...