Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of castration and administration of testosterone propionate(TP) on the development of the thyroid, adrenal glands and the testis in immature male rats, 25 days immatured, weighing 64.1${\pm}$2g, were divided into two groups of control and castrated, each sub-divided into 30 rats again, treated and untreated with TP respectivity. Each rat was given 20$m\ell$ of TP subcutaneously at two weeks interval. Six rats among each group were randomly sacrificed at 7, 21, 35, 49, and 63 days after treatment, of which their thyroid, adrenal glands and testis were collected for cytometric observation. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The size of the follicle of thyroid glands had a tendency to increase proportionally to the treatment period in every group. However, in castration group, the follicular size of the untreated with TP were significantly increased from 49 days (p<0.05) after treatment than that of the treated with TP, while in control group, the treated with TP were not increased during the treatment period. Regarding the height of the follicular epithelial cell in thyroid gland, the treated with TP had a tendency to increase than the untreated with TP in both castration and control group. 2. Regarding the size of the follicle of thyroid gland in relation with the increment period, the untreated with TP in control group were slightly increased from 49 days after treatment, but the treated with TP were not changed significantly. Castration group had a tendency to increase significantly than the control group, especially the untreated with TP in castration group were significantly increased. 3. As for the change of the relative height of thyroidal follicular epithelial cell in relation with the increment of treatment period, the untreated, A and C group, in both castration and control group were increased at 35 days 63 days after treatment while the treated, B and D group had tendency to increase from 21 days after treatment. 4. Regarding the thickness fo adrenal cortex, the castration group had a tendency to increase than the control group until 21 days after treatment. But, at 35 days, the change of the thickness was reversed; Mean while at 49 days and 63 days, especially C group in castration were significantly increased than any other groups although there were no significant differences among the every group during the whole treatment period. Regarding the thickness of adrenal cortex in relation with the increment of treatment period, A, B and C group had a tendency to increase until 21 days after treatment. After that period, there was no significant increment in all groups. Especially, in D group, there were no significant changes from 7 days to 63 days after treatment. 5. As for the tickness of adrenal medulla, there were no significant changes in every group of castration and TP treatment, except that the castration group had a tendency to increase continually than the control throughout the whole treament period. 6. In terms of the number, diameter and thickness of seminiferous tubule in testis of control group, the treated group with TP were distinctly reduced than those of the untreated group from 49 days after treatment respectively.
