Abstract
Summary
The adrenal gland of the 2-day old responds to unilateral adrenalectomy by a significant hypertrophy of the remaining gland. Treatment with ACTH in the same age animal also causes a significant hypertrophy. The response in the 7-day old to unilateral adrenalectomy is significantly depressed as compared with that obtained in the 2-day old rat. Following treatment with ACTH, adrenal hypertrophy is greater in the 7-day old rat than in the 2-day old. It is concluded that the pituitary-adrenal axis is relatively refractory in the rat at about day 7 of age and is functional in both the younger and older animal.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.