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W H Brown1, L Pearce, C M Van Allen
1Laboratories of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
This study provides a comprehensive dataset of organ weights from 350 healthy male rabbits, establishing baseline measurements for future research into animal physiology and disease.
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Area of Science:
Background:
The biological variability inherent in animal models often complicates the interpretation of physiological data. Researchers frequently lack standardized baseline metrics for healthy specimens. This uncertainty drove the need for systematic anatomical documentation. Prior research has shown that organ size fluctuates significantly across different species. However, comprehensive datasets for specific laboratory animals remained sparse during the early twentieth century. This gap motivated the collection of precise measurements from a large cohort. Investigators sought to establish a reference point for future pathological examinations. Such foundational data are necessary to distinguish normal anatomical ranges from disease-related abnormalities.
Purpose Of The Study:
The aim of this study was to provide a systematic analysis of normal anatomical measurements in male rabbits. Researchers sought to establish baseline data for a wide range of internal organs. This investigation was part of a broader effort to understand the animal organism in relation to disease. The lack of standardized reference values for healthy specimens prompted this detailed anatomical survey. Investigators intended to document the range of normal variation within a large cohort. They focused on identifying the statistical distribution of weights for thirteen specific structures. This effort was necessary to provide a foundation for future pathological research. The study serves as a preliminary step in characterizing the biological norms of this laboratory model.
Main Methods:
The review approach involved a systematic examination of 350 male rabbits over a thirty-month period. Investigators performed necropsies to extract and weigh thirteen distinct anatomical structures. The team utilized a standardized protocol to ensure consistency across all subjects. Data collection focused on capturing a wide range of quantitative metrics for each specimen. The researchers calculated the median, mode, and standard deviation for every organ category. They also determined the coefficient of variation and probable error for each weight distribution. Visual representations were generated using tables and text-figures to summarize the findings. This rigorous documentation process aimed to provide a reliable reference for future comparative studies.
Main Results:
The primary finding demonstrates that wide variations exist in the weights of nearly all examined organs. The study provides comprehensive data for 350 male rabbits, including maximum, minimum, and average values. Statistical analysis reveals that the coefficient of variation differs significantly across the various structures. The researchers report that brain mass appears largely independent of total body mass within the observed limits. Other organs exhibit a more variable degree of correlation with the animal's overall size. The data are presented through detailed tables and a series of text-figures. These results establish a baseline for understanding the distribution of organ weights in healthy specimens. The findings highlight the complexity of relating individual organ size to total body mass.
Conclusions:
The authors suggest these measurements serve as approximate values for healthy male rabbits. These findings highlight the presence of broad variability across nearly all examined anatomical structures. The researchers propose that organ size does not always correlate linearly with total body mass. They note that brain mass appears largely independent of overall animal size within specific parameters. This synthesis implies that future studies must account for numerous external conditions affecting these metrics. The investigators compare their observations to existing human anatomical literature. They emphasize that these results provide a framework for subsequent physiological investigations. The report serves as a preliminary resource for understanding normal biological ranges in this species.
The researchers observed that brain mass remains largely independent of total body mass, whereas other organs show varying degrees of correlation with overall animal size.
The study utilized a cohort of 350 male rabbits, which were systematically examined between January 1922 and July 1924 to establish baseline anatomical data.
The authors report that these measurements are influenced by numerous external conditions, which they intend to address in future publications to refine the accuracy of these baseline values.
The researchers employed statistical metrics including the median, mode, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation to characterize the distribution of organ weights across the cohort.
The study measured a wide array of structures, including the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, thymus, testicles, brain, thyroid, parathyroids, suprarenals, hypophysis, pineal gland, and various lymph nodes.
The authors suggest that their findings are comparable to human anatomical studies, noting similar patterns of wide variability in organ size across different individuals.