THE ONSET OF PUBERTY AFTER X IRRADIATION

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1962 · Journal of Endocrinology (England)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.0240113· OSTI ID:4773283

Beaumont, H M

The effect of irradiation of the ovaries of rats on ovarian function was investigated. Previous reports have indicated that follicular development and onset of puberty are accelerated by irradiation, and these findings have given impetus to the questionable practice of ovarian irradiation in human cases of sterility. Rats were exposed to 645 r on both the 7th and 14th days after birth. Other animals served as unirradiated controls; some of these received anesthetic (tribromoethanol), but during exposure the anesthetized animals were almost completely shielded with lead. The results demonstrate that the onset of puberty is not accelerated following ovarian irradiation during the first 2 weeks after birth and that secretory capacity of the ovaries is decreased following irradiation. While the vaginal estrous changes were comparable in the 2 groups of animals, the weight of the uterus was lower in the irradiated than in the control rats. The reduction in secretory function appeared to be correlated with ovarian atrophy. Although a few oocytes at the later stages of follicular growth were identified in most of the irradiated ovaries, the latter also contained numerous cystic and degeneraring follicles and cystic corpora lutea. These degenerative changes were reflected by a reduction in ovarian weight. The conclusion that ovarian irradiation is followed by a diminution in the output of estrogen is supported by the previous observation that experimental animals showed slight hypertrophy of the pituitary gland and slight involution of the adrenal gland. The present results thus fail to confirm the hypothesis that x irradiation stimulates ovarian function by causing excessive follicular growth. The fact that precocious vaginal opening was not observed in the 2 animals in which only the anterior half of the body was shielded during exposure to x rays suggests that the direct effects of irradiation are insufficient per se to induce early breakdown of the vaginal closure membrane. Previous experiments failed to subject control animals to the same degree of nonspecific stress (i.e. anesthesia) as experimental animals. Thus the possibility that the induction of precocious puberty was entirely of a nonspecific nature cannot be eliminated. (H.H.D.)

• Research Organization: Univ. of Birmingham, Eng.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-17-001297
• OSTI ID: 4773283
• Journal Information: Journal of Endocrinology (England), Journal Name: Journal of Endocrinology (England) Vol. Vol: 24; ISSN JOENA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ADRENAL GLANDS
AGE
ANESTHESIA
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BODY
CORPORA LUTEA
DRUGS
ESTROGENS
ETHANOL
FOLLICLES
GLANDS
GONADS
HORMONES
ORGANIC BROMINE COMPOUNDS
OVARIES
PHYSIOLOGY
PITUITARY GLAND
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RATS
REPRODUCTION
SHIELDING
STEROIDS
VARIATIONS
WEIGHT
X RADIATION