title: Effects of castration and testosterone treatment on the development and involution of the bursa of fabricius and the thymus in the Japanese quail.
abstract: We investigated the effects of castration on the development of lymphoid organs (bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen) in the Japanese quail during 4-8 weeks of age under a long photoperiod (16L:8D) and the effect of testosterone implantation on the involution of the lymphoid organs under long (16L:8D) and short (8L:16D) photoperiods. Under 16L:8D, the bursa of Fabricius and thymus in intact quail grew rapidly and reached a peak at 6 weeks of age and regressed thereafter. In contrast, development of the lymphoid organs in castrated quail was well correlated with the body growth. Testosterone treatment induced a significant reduction in relative bursal weight to body weight at 6 weeks of age under 16L:8D and 8 weeks of age under 16L:8D and 8L:16D, in relative thymus weight at 6 weeks of age under 16L:8D and 8L:16D, and in relative spleen weight at 6 weeks of age under 8L:16D. Thus, we conclude that gonadal hormones play an important role in the development and involution of lymphoid organs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy (II), Nara Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mase
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oishi
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002369:Castration; D003370:Coturnix / Q000254:growth & development; D004343:Drug Implants; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D004343:Drug Implants; D013739:Testosterone