Abstract
Summary
Concurrent pregnancy significantly enhanced mammary DNA and RNA in rats lactating 18 days when compared with non-pregnant rats lactating 18 days, but the RNA/DNA ratio was not changed. Concurrent pregnancy in rats lactating 21, 24, and 28 days produced, respectively, no change, significant decrease, and no change in nucleic acid content when compared with lactating, non-pregnant rats. Within days 24 and 28 of lactation, nucleic acid content decreased markedly with advancing pregnancy.
Standardization of gestation length showed that glands of rats with 7 or more fetuses contained highly significantly less DNA and RNA than glands of lactating, non-pregnant rats.
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