ТНЕ EFFECT OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY ON ТНЕ OCCURRENCE AND ТНЕ COURSE OF EXPERIMENTAL MYOCARDIТIS AND ARTHRIТIS

Тhе effect of the hypophysis and its hormones on the course of various pathological processes has been and still is the object of clinical and expeгirnental studies. Numeгous investigations confirm the role of the pituitary hormоnеs аnd particularly of АСТН in the course of diverse collagen disorders аnd their experimental models. These studies have given us grounds to initiate а follo1w-up study of the effect of hypophyssctomy on experimental myocarditis and arthritis in rats. Experiments wеге caгried out with 51 albino rats approximately identical in age аnd weight (between 130 and 180 g). The animals were divided into two groups: а control one (12 rats) and аn experimental оnе (39 rats).  At the begining of the experiments the animals from the latter group were subjected to hypophysectomy via paratracheal route. After the postoperative period was оvег (5 to 7 days оn the average) an electrocardiogram was made. Immediately after that а suspension of hemolytic streptococcus was intravenously administered after the method previously describled bу us.  During the whole time of the ехрегiшепt the animals were clinically observed as regards their general condition, the status of their limbs, the рrеsеnсе of oedema ог erythema of the joints. EKG examinations wеге repeated twice in the intervals between the separate injections with streptococcus hemolyticus. Two weeks after the last injection (with streptococcus hemolyticus) the гats wеге killed with ether. All were dissected, biopsy material being taken fгоm the heart and the involved joints. Materials wеге fixed in 10% neutral formalin аnd were processed after the paгaffine and the freezing method: the slides wеrе stained with hemalaun-eosine, toluidineblue and Sudan III. The animals which died bеfоге the еnd of the experiments wеrе also dissected, biopsy material being also taken. А total of 620 histologic preparations were made from the myocardium and the involved joints.