Effect of Fœtal Hypophysectomy on the Fœtal Liver Fat in the Rabbit

Abstract

ANGEVINE¹, in his study of the pituitary and adrenals of 20 human anencephalic fœtuses, noted that in practically every case the subcutaneous pannus of fat was unusually thick especially over the shoulders and thorax. This observation has been confirmed in a number of full-term or near full-term anencephalics which are now being studied. Jost² has recently shown that fœtal thyroidectomy in the rabbit results in an increase in total fat (determined by ether–alcohol extraction), which does not occur if thyroxine is injected into the fœtus at the time of the thyroidectomy. This raises the possibility that the increase in fat in the human abnormality is due to a fœtal hormonal disturbance, and this view is supported by the knowledge that the pituitary of anencephalics is reduced in size and that secondary to this the adrenals are extremely small¹. It is therefore possible that the hypofunction of the pituitary either directly, or indirectly by affecting other endocrine glands, determines the increase in fat found in the human anencephalic monster.