T. L. Althausen 



17 



The results of our experiments with induced hypcrtliyroicHsni and hypo- 

 thyroidism in rats were confirmed by our work on patients with spontaneous 

 hyperthyroidism and with myxedema. The rate of intestinal absorption in 

 man was determined by administering a solution of galactose by mouth and 

 subsequently measuring at intervals the amount of galactose in the blood. On 

 this basis a new diagnostic test for the activity of the thyroid gland was devised 

 which, in a series of 130 patients with hyperthyroidism and of 97 persons with- 

 out thyroid disease, proved to be as reliable as are determinations of the basal 

 metabolic rate.'" This work also furnished certain therapeutic applications in 

 clinical hyperthyroidism, especially by establishing that glycosuria, postpran- 

 dial hyperglycemia, and high dextrose-tolerance curves in patieius with hypei - 

 thyroidism do not indicate the coexistence of diabetes mellitus unless the 

 fasting blood sugar is also high." This is important because dietary limitation 

 of carbohydrates and administration of insulin are coniraindicated in hyper- 

 thyroidism. Finally, our data point to reduced intestinal absorption as a logical 

 explanation for the low dextrose-tolerance curves in patients with myxedema. 

 Heretofore these usually had been ascribed to greater than normal utilization 

 of dextrose. 



The Adrenals. Wilbrandt and LengyeP found that adrenalectomy decreases 

 the intestinal absorption of dextrose and of olive oil in rats and that adminis- 

 tration of adrenal cortical hormone restores it to normal. Issekutz, Laszt and 

 Verzar" reported diminished absorption of dextrose and of butter fat from 

 isolated jejunal loops of adrenalectomized cats. Deuel, Hallman, Murray and 

 Samuels" found no impairment in the absorption of dextrose in adrenalecto- 

 mized rats that had received the Rubin-Krick salt mixture. We extended these 

 experiments and found that untreated adrenalectomized rats showed marked 

 impairment of intestinal absorption of dextrose (table 4). After administra- 

 tion of 1 per cent of sodium chloride in drinking water, their intestinal absorp- 

 tion of dextrose was restored to normal; however, the rate of absorption in 

 female rats was not higher than that in males, as is the case in intact animals" 

 (see following section on Gonads). Recently Marrazzi'" in a similar experiment 

 found diminished absorption of dextrose in adrenalectomized rats in spite 

 of the fact that they had received sodium chloride. She ascribed the normal 

 absorption of dextrose in our adrenalectomized animals that had received 

 salt to the fact that we had allowed them access to sucrose during the fust 

 eight hours of the 24-hour fasting period in order to avoid excessive weaken- 

 ing. In control experiments conducted since then with normal rats that hatl 

 access to sucrose in a like manner, we found that the intestinal absorption was 

 not altered. Furthermore, Anderson, Herring and Joseph" demonstrated nor- 

 mal intestinal absorption of dextrose in adrenalectomized rats that had re- 

 ceived salt for periods up to 176 days after adrenalectomy in experiments in 

 which both the adrenalectomized and the control rats had been fasted for 

 twenty hours. In our experience an important condition for successful experi- 

 mentation with animals deprived of an endocrine organ, especially of the 



