Abstract
The discovery of a sex dimorphism in the adrenal cortex of the young mouse 1 and its relation to age and sex 2 suggests that this structure is influenced by certain endocrine secretions. The dimorphism, termed the × zone by Miller, 2 is present in the female adrenal and lies between the zona fasciculata and the medulla, the cells at this border being freely interspersed among each other; in the male adrenal, the × zone is absent and the zona fasciculata and the medulla are clearly separated by a distinct connective tissue capsule. This morphological difference is definitely established in mice 40 days of age. An attempt was made in this investigation to determine the effect upon the × zone of injecting various hormones which are intimately related to sex.
The procedure employed in this research involved the extraction and standardization of 5 endocrines, the daily injection of these preparations into normal and castrate mice of varying ages and finally the histological study of stained sections of the adrenal glands. A total of 155 mice were used, of which 79 were injected with different hormones, 56 served as controls and the remaining 20 were employed in testing extracts. The results may be conveniently summarized as follows:
The presence of the × zone in the adrenal gland of male and female mice 21 days of age and the establishment of a sex dimorphism in this gland at 40 days by its disappearance in the male adrenal have been confirmed. The characteristic persistence of the zone in castrate males and the absence of an effect following ovariectomy in females have also been confirmed.
The body weight was not affected by the continued injection of the 5 preparations employed.
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