Hormonal control of the development of the thymus of the fœtal rabbit

ABSTRACT THAT the fœtal adrenal is physiologically active has been firmly established; for example, Jost and Jacquot have shown its importance in the development of fœtal liver glycogen1–3.

That the adrenal itself is influenced in its development by a structure or structures within the skull—generally assumed to be the hypophysis—has been demonstrated in the rabbit4,5 and

rat6,7 by fœtal decapitation, following which there is a considerable reduction in the adrenal by full term. Since it is well recognized that in the adult animal adrenal hormones have a

thymolytic action, it was considered possible that the development of the fœtal thymus might be influenced by the fœtal adrenals. To test this hypothesis rabbit fœtuses were decapitated at

20–21 days of development and the thymus glands were weighed when the fœtuses had reached almost to term. The results were clear cut, for in the operated fœtuses the thymus on average was 72

per cent heavier than in their litter mate controls5. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS SEROTONIN LIMITS GENERATION OF CHROMAFFIN CELLS DURING ADRENAL ORGAN DEVELOPMENT

Article Open access 25 May 2022 EFFECTS OF REPETITIVE IODINE THYROID BLOCKING ON THE FOETAL BRAIN AND THYROID IN RATS: A SYSTEMS BIOLOGY APPROACH Article Open access 02 July 2020

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES OF THE FETAL AND NEONATAL THYROID GLAND AND FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM Article 14 November 2022 REFERENCES * Jost, A., and Jacquot, R., _Ann.

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Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Anatomy, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London J. G. BEARN Authors * J. G. BEARN View author publications

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of the Thymus of the Fœtal Rabbit. _Nature_ 192, 875–876 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/192875b0 Download citation * Issue Date: 02 December 1961 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/192875b0

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