Abstract
THE question whether or not there is an endocrine function of the thymus is one that has been much debated. Various investigators have claimed that thymectomy caused retardation of growth and gonadal development1 and that injections of thymic extracts induced precocious development2. Others3–5 have refuted these claims. Comsa6 reported that thymectomy of male guinea pigs caused transitory stimulation of the adrenal cortex as evidenced by significant decreases in the levels of adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid. The study, however, lacked comparable sham-operated controls. In view of the various claims, we tried in the present investigation to determine whether the acute and chronic effects of thymectomy on adrenal and gonadal androgenic output are reflected by alterations in urinary 17-keto-steroid-levels.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Einhorn, N. H., and Rowntree, L. G., Endocrinol., 21, 659 (1937).
Rowntree, L. G., Clark, J. H., Hanson, A. M., and Steinberg, A., Arch. Int. Med., 56, 1 (1935).
Segaloff, A., and Nelson, W. O., Amer. J. Physiol., 130, 671 (1940).
Segaloff, A., and Nelson, W. O., Endocrinol., 26, 860 (1940).
Segaloff, A., and Nelson, W. O., Endocrinol., 27, 693 (1940).
Comsa, J., Nature, 179, 872 (1957).
Herrmann, W. L., Schindl, I. K., and Bondy, P. K., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 103, 103 (1960).
Munday, K. A., and Blane, G. F., J. Endocrinol., 20, 266 (1960).
Eisenman, A. J., Fraser, H. F., Sloan, J., and Isbell, H., J. Pharm, Exp. Therap., 124, 305 (1958).
Farris, E. J., and Griffith, J. Q., The Rat in Laboratory Investigation (J. B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, 1949).
Rappaport, F., Fischl, J., and Pinto, N., Clin. Chem., 6, 16 (1960).
Snedecor, G. W., Statistical Methods (Iowa State College Press, Ames, Iowa, 1946).
Marrotta, S. F., Economou, P. G., and Stolpe, S. G., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 104, 84 (1960).
Sackler, A. M., et al., Fed. Proc., 12, 1196 (1953).
Weltman, A. S., and Sackler, A. M., Nature, 192, 460 (1961).
Martin, C. R., et al., Fed. Proc., 12, 1149 (1953).
Sackler, R. R., et al., J. Clin. and Exp. Psychopath., 12, 283 (1951).
Sackler, M. D., et al., J. Clin. and Exp. Psychopath., 12, 288 (1951).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
WELTMAN, A., OWENS, H. & SACKLER, A. Effect of Age and Thymectomy on Urinary 17-Ketosteroid-levels in Male Rats. Nature 194, 1087–1088 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/1941087a0
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1941087a0
