THE EFFECT OF GROWTH AND LACTOGENIC HORMONES ON RENAL COMPENSATORY HYPERTROPHY IN HYPO-PHYSECTOMIZED RATS

¹ Department of Physiology and the Clinical Endocrinology Research Unit (M. R. C.), University of Edinburgh

Thirty-six hypophysectomized and 14 normal male albino rats had one kidney removed. Two groups of hypophysectomized rats were treated with prolactin and growth hormone separately. The hormone was given under the skin in doses of 2 mg. per day per rat for 10 days. The remaining rats did not receive treatment. Significant hypertrophy of the remaining kidney occurred in the normal and in the growth-hormone treated rats. It did not occur significantly in the prolactin treated rats. It was found, however, that growth hormone, although significantly increasing the body weight of the hypophysectomized rats had failed to restore to normal the weight of the remaining kidney, when the latter was related to the surface area in assessing compensatory renal hypertrophy.

Note:

The generous gift of growth hormone and prolactin by N. I. H. (U. S. A.) is gratefully acknowledged.

My thanks are due to Dr. Loraine for the hospitality and to Dr. K. Kirkham and Miss M. Lotto for their help in statistics and Mr. J. Low for technical assistance.