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METABOLISM STUDIES IN THE ALBINO RAT THE EFFECT OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY ON, THE PERCENTAGE OF BODY WEIGHT PRESENT AS MUSCLE

Department of Physiology, Cornell University Medical College NEW YORK CITY

Abstract

JACKSON AND LOWREY (i) have determined the percentage of the net weight, (gross weight minus the weight of the stomach, intestines and bladder) com' prising skeletal muscle in the albino rat. In males over 70 days of age this value was found to be above 42%.

Phillips and Robb (2) found lower glycogen values in skeletal muscle in hypo' physectomized rats than in their litter'mate controls. This finding would lose much significance if, after hypophysectomy, the percentage of the body weight present as skeletal muscle was increased. Because of the diminished activity following hypo' physectomy (3) this seemed quite unlikely. However, the point was important enough to warrant direct study.

METHODS

Male, Wistar'Strain rats were used throughout. They were killed by massive injections of Na amytal intraperitoneally. After removal of skin, viscera, subcutane ous fat and lymph nodes, the carcass was weighed, dropped into 1% NaOH and heated, just below boiling, for about 5 minutes.