Abstract
Summary
The chromatophore hormone content of the pituitaries of pigmented and of albinotic rabbits has been examined in tree frogs (Hyla arborea). There is no significant difference between the two types of animals, the hormone content in the anterior + intermediate lobes in pigmented animals amounting to 30-150 frog units and in albinotic animals to 42-150 frog units. In the posterior lobes the values for pigmented animals were between 15 and 150 frog units and for albinotic animals between 15 and 500 frog units. We conclude that the only difference between the albinotic and the normally pigmented individual is the lack of enzymes of the type of DOPA oxidase or tyrosinase. This fact should be borne in mind in the approach to the treatment of vitiligo.
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