Effect of interaction between glucose or sodium chloride ingestion and ovarian hormones on some endocrine organs in rats.

Adult female rats with normal oestrus cycles (control), ovariectomized (OVX), ovariectomized with estradiol treatment (OVX-EB) and ovariectomized with progesterone treatment (OVX-P), were provided with Glucose (G/W) or Saline (S/W) through a two bottle preference. They were given food pellets ad libitum. At the end of 3 weeks' period the animals were sacrificed and pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and pancreas were removed and weighed. Adrenal glands showed a significant decrease in OVX and OVX-P rats taking G/W, as also decrease in OVX and OVX-EB and increase in OVX-P rats taking S/W. The pancreas registered an overall increase in OVX, OVX-EB and OVX-P rats taking both G/W and S/W, which was statistically significant only in OVX-EB and OVX-P rats. Ovarian hormones appear to influence the size of these glands when glucose or sodium chloride is ingested.