[Effects of castration on the development of the juxtaglomerular apparatus in the albino rat during growth].

With the purpose to show a possible sexual difference in the evolution of the juxtaglomerular granular cells during the albino rat post-natal development, the authors have compared groups of male and female animals of crescent ages from 2 to 90 days old. During the first 30 days, the granulation indexes, which express the secretory activity of the Ruyter cells, are regularly increasing as the body and renal weights. On and after the 30th day, the growth becomes more important for males than for females but, in spite of these weight differences, the granulation indexes are not significantly different in terms of sex, at the same age. In order to control these results, castrations have been performed during the period of granular cells increase, on the 17th day of life. The comparison of castrated and uncastrated animals on the 35th day shows that castration causes repercussions on the body and renal growth. On the other hand, no significant modification of the granulation indexes occurs, which brings the demonstration that the Ruyter cells development is independent of the animal sex.