THE PITUITARY BODY 



the defects. Early treatment by cortical hormone prevented 

 pituitary damage, i.e., the defects of growth, gonadal func- 

 tion, and metabolism did not appear. In the experiments of 

 Gaunt, Remington, and Schweizer the metabolism of water 

 after the intraperitoneal injection of isotonic glucose solution 

 was investigated. xAt least in respect of the ease with which 

 "water intoxication" was produced or ameliorated or pre- 

 vented by cortical extract, it appeared that hypophysecto- 

 mized rats suffered from a deficiency of adrenal cortical hor- 

 mone. 



All recent work indicates that thyroidectomy interferes 

 neither with the release of adrenal cortical stimulating hor- 

 mone from the pituitary nor with the peripheral action of the 

 hormone. Cortical-stimulating hormone produces about the 

 same adrenal hypertrophy and increased accumulation of 

 osmiophilic material in the cortical cells of tadpoles, whether 

 or not the thyroid is present (Atwell, 1937). Thyroidectomy 

 appears not to affect the adrenal-stimulating effects of an- 

 terior pituitary extract in guinea pigs (Jores and Boecker, 

 1937).'^ Compensatory hypertrophy of an adrenal gland after 

 the removal of its mate depends upon the liberation of 

 adrenal cortical stimulating hormone from the pituitary; 

 however, thyroidectomy does not interfere with this phe- 

 nomenon in the male rat (Winter and Emery, i936).5 



^ These authors found that adrenal hypertrophy following the administration of 

 thyroxine was associated with a loss of lipoids from the cortex. This effect, of course, 

 is the reverse of that considered to be typical of adrenal cortical stimulating hor- 

 mone. 



5 These authors found that gonadectomy does not interfere with compensatory 

 adrenal hypertrophy in rats of either sex. If both adrenals are intact, castration is 

 followed by adrenal hypertrophy, spaying by adrenal atrophy. 



Elmer, Giedosz, and Scheps (1937) concluded that thyrotropic hormone 

 played the important part in the adrenal hypertrophy which follows the administra- 

 tion of acid extract of the anterior pituitary, because the effect was prevented by the 

 administration of iodide. Friedgood (1936) also administered iodides and alkaline 

 anterior pituitary extract to guinea pigs and found that adrenal hypertrophy 

 and splenomegaly were less pronounced or even absent. However, Friedgood did 

 not feel that the h pothe-is that thyrotropic hormone is responsible for the cortical- 

 stimulating effects of pituitary extract is warranted. 



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