The spleen-hypophysis relationship - the effect of splenectomy on the young rat growth

The spleen-hypophysis relationship particularly the effect of splenectomy on the body growth rate was studied on young rats from both sexes. The following experimental groups were tested: 1. sham-operated controls; 2. splenectomized rats; 3. marsupialized-spleen rats; 4. parabiosis rats; 5. parabiosis plus splenectomy from only one animal. The results were taking in basis on the regression lines of the body weight increasing on time, during 11 weeks. In addition, the hypophysis weight, the volume of its lobes and the adenohypophysis alpha, beta and cromophobe cells nuclear volume were estimated. The results show that splenectomy provides a significant increasing of body weight. The splenectomized rats show furthermore, a significant hypophysis weight increasing, a hypertrophy of its anterior lobe and morphological evidences of functional hyperactivity of its alpha-cells (estimated towards its nuclear volume increasing). The results suggest that the growth rate increasing of splenectomized young rats depends upon the adenohypophysis alpha-cells hypersecretion.