Edward C. Persike

Involution of Thymus During Pregnancy in Young Mice

Summary Pregnancy caused the thymi of young mice to undergo involution, both grossly and microscopically. With one exception out of 20, the degree of thymic involution varied between 45% and 80% as measured by gland weights. At parturition, the post-partum mice generally weighed more than their litter-mate controls.

Effect of Thyro-Parathyroideetomy upon the Blood and Plasma Volumes of the Rat:

There have been few studies of blood and plasma volumes in myxedema or experimental hypothyroidism, none on the rat. Thompson 1 in an early study found the plasma volume in myxedematous patients to be 30% below normal, and also found that the values returned to normal upon treatment with thyroid extract. Holböll 2 likewise found the blood and plasma volume reduced in myxedema. In the most recent study, Gibson and Harris 3 studied 7 myxedematous patients. They found that the blood volume was only 15% below normal, and attributed the lower results of earlier authors to errors in the method of blood volume determination used. Methods. This study utilized 16 male rats, ranging in weight from 150 to 180 g at the start. Thyro-parathyroidectomy was performed, under ether anesthesia, by blunt dissection and cauterization of the thyroid bed. Following this, an interval of 3 weeks elapsed, during which the rats were undisturbed and were fed upon stock diet. At the end of 3 weeks, the rats had failed to gain weight in accordance with the normal growth curve. Blood and plasma volume determinations were performed according to the hemoglobin dye method previously described. 4 Gross post-mortem examination showed no regeneration of thyroid tissue at the site of operation. The heart weights were diminished in accordance with previous experience upon thyro-parathyroidectomized rats. 5 Results. Plasma volumes were obtained in 16 rats, and blood volumes were obtained in 14 of these. There was a mean reduction of plasma volume, erythrocyte volume and total blood volume of approximately 10%, when compared with normal standards for rats of the same weight, as previously established. 4 (Table I).

Effect of rutin on induced proteinuria in albino rats.

Summary In albino rats with proteinuria induced by the administration of bovine albumin, rutin in high dosage did not appear to alter significantly (1) the degree of proteinuria, (2) the organ or body weights, (3) the total serum protein content, (4) kidney protein content, (5) the serum creatinine concentration, or (6) the rate of excretion of creatinine in the urine. No toxic manifestations attributable to rutin were observed. A color change in rutin solution, from yellow in alkaline medium to colorless in acid medium was noted.