Abstract
Compensatory hypertrophy may follow a deficiency in the total cell mass induced by operative removal of one of the paired organs. The process is manifested in some but not in all paired organs. The present study was undertaken because no data are available with respect to compensatory hypertrophy in Cowper's glands.
Albino rats of 250 days of age were used. The age of the rat excluded the possible influence of growth on the size of the gland. The stimulus to compensatory hypertrophy was given by the removal of one Cowper's gland from each rat. Under ether anesthesia and through the perineal route, alternate glands were removed from each successive rat. Immediately after removal each gland was freed from any adherent fat or tissue and weighed to within a milligram on a torsion balance. The weights of these glands were taken as controls.
Twenty days was arbitrarily chosen as the period of time during which to determine the ability of the remaining Cowper's gland to undergo compensatory hypertrophy. At the end of this period the rats were etherized and the remaining Cowper's glands removed and carefully weighed as before.
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