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The changes in the female mouse thymuses during puberty were investigated. During this period the lymphatic cell number in the thymus and its proliferative activity were found to decrease while the mitogen reactivity to PHA to increase. These changes cannot be observed in females ovariectomized before puberty. The role of ovarian hormones in the observed phenomenon is discussed.

The authors determined the lymphocyte count, nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio, nuclear diameter, and the number of nucleoli and their morphology in peripheral blood of female mice. The results indicate that lymphocyte count remains unchanged during the sexual cycle but changes occur in the nucleocytoplasmic ratio, nuclear diameter, the number and morphology of lymphocyte nucleoli and are synchronized with the cycle. The observations suggest that changes in the maturity and activity of lymphocytes depend on the phase of the sexual cycle.