[Effect of over dose sex hormone on rabbit's nasal mucosa]

The nasal respiratory mucosa of thirty-eight rabbits were studied with histopathological method. Among those rabbits, sixteen were injected with estrogen, sixteen androgen, and the other eight as control. The nasal respiratory mucosa of all animals were observed under light microscope, seven of them were observed under transmission electron microscope. Animals injected with estrogen showed the following changes: the nasal respiratory mucosa became thick. The submucosa was spongy and edematous, the capillaries were dilated and congested. The tunical glands were hyperplastic and hyperactive. Numerous newly-produced collagen fibrils deposited in the lamina propria. After one or two months of drug administration, some thick-walled arterioles appeared. The effect of androgen on nasal mucosa of the animals was similar to that of estrogen in some respects, but the effect on the vessels was slight, no newly-produced collagen fibril deposition. Many epithelial cells and glandular cells were degenerated. The effect on nasal respiratory mucosa between male and female animals seemed to be different.