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. 1976 Sep 1;17(3):293–306. doi: 10.1186/BF03547910

Ateliotic Dwarfism in the German Shepherd Dog

LOW SOMATOMEDIN ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH APPARENTLY NORMAL PITUITARY FUNCTION (2 CASES) AND WITH PAN-ADENOPITUITARY DYSFUNCTION (1 CASE)

Tata Ringberg Lund-Larsen 14,✉, Jorunn Grøndalen 14
PMCID: PMC8383944  PMID: 988737

Abstract

Two types of ateliotic dwarfism in 3 German Shepherd dog puppies are described. Low somatomedin levels in serum and impaired growth of skeletal tissues were found in all 3 cases.

One dog (case 2) had a histologically undeveloped adenohypophysis, and the dwarfism was apparently due to a generalized lack of adenopituitary function.

The 2 other dogs (cases 1A and IB) had histologically normal adenohypophyses, and their condition was probably due to a reduced response to endogenous growth hormone in peripheral tissues.

Keywords: ateliotic dwarfism, German Shepherd dog, growth hormone, somatomedin, skeletal growth

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to Associate Professor A. Attramadal, Rikshospitalet (the National Hospital of Norway), and Assistant Professor B. Bratberg, the Department of Pathology, Veterinary College of Norway, for performing the histological sectioning and staining, and for valuable discussions. Thanks are also due to Professor O. Foss, the Oslo City Hospital, Ullevål, for performing the thyroxin-analyses and to Associate Professor K. Halse, the Department of Physiology, Veterinary College of Norway, for the glucose determinations. In addition we wish to thank district veterinary officer R. Gilhuus and veterinary surgeon O. Stenshorne for referring the cases to us. The skilful technical assistance of chem.ing. V. Schuller Jacobsen is gratefully acknowledged.

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