EFFECTS OF CASTRATION AND CASTRATION FOLLOWED BY SEX STEROID TREATMENT ON THE INTERRENAL GLAND AND PARS DISTALIS OF THE INDIAN SKIPPER FROG, RANA CYANOPHLYCTIS SCHNEIDER

SUMMARY The effect of castration and those of replacement therapy with testosterone propionate and estradiol-17β on the interrenal gland and the pars distalis were studied in the male frog, Rana cyanophlyctis Schneider (Amphibia Ranidae). Fifteen days after castration there was a significant increase in the interrenal cell and nuclear diameters and an increase in G-6-PDH and Δ5-3β-HSDH activity in the interrenal gland and changes in these parameters were more pronounced 1 month after castration. The b2 cells in the pars distalis showed a slight degranulation, 15 days after castration and an extensive degranulation, vacuolization and a significant increase in nuclear and cellular area, 1 month after castration. The administration of testosterone or estradiol to the castrates caused the normalization of castration-induced changes in the interrenals as well as in b2 cells. These results suggest that, castration leads to hypertrophy of the interrenals and gonadotrops and treatment of the castrates with androg...