HISTOPHYSIOLOGICAL CRITERIA OF THE ACTIVI TY OF THYROID AND ADRENAL-GLANDS IN NEWBORN PIGLETS AFTER TREATMENT OF THE PREGNANT SOWS WITH SOMATOTROPIN

After treatment of 32 Landrace sows with porcine somatotropin (pST) du ring the early, middle and late term of pregnancy, respectively at the first day of life one piglet from each litter was taken, and the thyr oid and adrenal gland were investigated. Furthermore, the serum glucos e content was determined. Piglets from 12 untreated sows acted as a co ntrol group. The weight of the thyroid gland was increased only in the treatment group during the last term of pregnancy (difference to the control group: 4.8%). The weights of the adrenal gland were unchanged in all groups, After pST treatment in all groups, the follicle cells o f the thyroid gland showed a decreased height of the epithelial cells and also a decreased nuclear volume (differences to the control group: 8-20%). The analysis of the histological parameters of the adrenal gl and showed that the nuclear volumes of tile medullar and cortical cell s were 20-25% higher than in the untreated group, and the thickness of the adrenal cortex was 5-10% lower. The serum glucose concentration w as significant increased in the groups of pST treatment during the mid dle and last term of pregnancy (differences to the control group: 30 a nd 21%). The described changes of the histological parameters indicate a decreased activity in the thyroid gland and an increased activity i n the adrenal gland in new-born piglets, when their mothers were treat ed with somatotropin during pregnancy. The results were discussed in r elationship to the function of the hormone glands in regulating the in termediate metabolism, especially in relation to the availability of g lucose for the adaptive processes immediately after birth.