EFFECT OF OVARIECTOMY AT BIRTH ON THE REGULATION OF SEBACEOUS GLANDS IN RATS

Abstract

Inbred Sprague–Dawley rats were ovariectomized within 24 h of birth. Sham-operated and untreated male and female rats were also included for comparison. At the age of 80 days, the secretion rate of sebum was assessed from the amount of skin-surface lipids that could be extracted by acetone and which had been produced during 2 days. There were no differences in sebum secretion, when expressed both in relationship to body weight and to surface area of the body, when rats ovariectomized at birth, sham-operated and intact female rats were compared. The removal of the ovaries within 24 h of birth increased the body weight, however. Although the weights of the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands, when corrected for body weight, were significantly smaller in rats ovariectomized at birth than in the sham-operated or intact female rats, there were no statistically significant differences in the absolute weights of these endocrine organs between neonatally spayed rats and sham-operated animals. The uterus became atrophic in the absence of ovaries. It has been concluded that the presence or absence of ovaries in the early stage of life had no effect on the activity of the sebaceous glands.