Abstract
Adrenal transplants were made into the ears of 6 adult rabbits by means of Sandison's technic. 1 The left adrenal gland was removed aseptically from the rabbit and placed in warm saline for 10 to 15 minutes. Thin pieces of both cortex and medulla were taken and inserted into the chamber adjacent to the blood vessels. Immediate observation showed that the transplant consisted of cell masses too opaque to be clearly seen, with a few isolated cells at the edge. These individual cells appear to live for 2 to 4 weeks, exhibiting some migrating activity but never active amoeboid movement. They are quite large and show vacuoles and a number of highly refractile granules. In 4 days to a week the vacuoles became more numerous and many of the cells began to shrink, fragment and disappear. No cells were seen to be growing and multiplying.
The main transplant showed some living cells along the margin but the center when visible appeared to be necrotic and became slowly absorbed in the course of about 4 weeks.
The transplant apparently retards the growth of the connective tissue and blood vessels in the chamber. No adrenal cells were seen to live in among the connective tissue, nor was there any indication of reaction about the transplant, except for the presence of a few leucocytes and macrophages. Occasionally a zone of leucocytes, 3 or 4 cells deep, was found next to a degenerating mass.
All 6 rabbits, 5 with autotransplant and one with hemotransplant showed quite similar findings. None of the transplants exhibited signs of growth or survived longer than 6 weeks.
Attempt was also made to transplant the adrenal in 2 stages. The transparent chamber was first inserted into the ear of the rabbit.
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