EFFECT OF SEX AND GONADOTROPIC HORMONES UPON THE BLOOD PICTURE OF THE RAT

Abstract

THE ANEMIA FOLLOWING HYPOPHYSECTOMY in rats now seems to be well established (1, 2, 3). Reticulopenia (4, 5) and bone marrow hypoplasia (6, 3) have also been noted in hypophysectomized rats. Conversely, it has been found possible to produce reticulocytosis and polycythemia in normal and hypophysec tomised rats by means of treatment with anterior pituitary extracts (7, 8). Those interested in the problem apparently agree that anterior pituitary substances in some way stimulate erythrocyte formation in the bone marrow. The manner in which such stimulation is produced is as yet unknown. Flaks and his coworkers (7, 8), without critical evidence, have attributed it to a special fraction or ‘hemotropic hormone’ such as Moehlig and Bates (9) had postulated upon the basis of clinical evidence. This idea has been tentatively accepted by Overbeek and Querido (6).