Abstract
Trichosurus vulpecula, the common Australian opossum, has a well-developed pouch which shows marked reactions towards the administration of œstrogens. After the injection of small doses of œstrogen (200–1,000 I.U.), development of the pouch and mammary glands becomes evident, particularly in sexually immature animals. Furthermore, hyper-plasia of the pouch muscles is noted as well as the secretion of a pigment which is deposited within the pouch and which stains the hairs a deep orange within the pouch as well as those around it. After the administration of one or several moderately large doses of œstrogen (1,000–10,000 I.U.), hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the muscles of the pouch occur, and the pouch decreases in size. After the administration of a single large dose of œstrogen (50,000–1,000,000 I.U.), the hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the pouch muscle become marked and it goes into a state of contraction which is accompanied by an almost complete disappearance of the pre-experimental pouch.
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BOLLIGER, A., CARRODUS, A. Effect of Œstrogens on the Pouch of the Marsupial Trichosurus vulpecula. Nature 144, 1049 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/1441049a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1441049a0
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