THE PITUITARY BODY 



lating hormone is accelerated.^ On the other hand, the rate 

 of secretion of cortical-stimulating hormone is so diminished 

 as a result of the administration of adrenal cortical extract 

 that cortical atrophy appears but can be prevented, if cor- 

 tical-stimulating extract be simultaneously administered 

 (Ingle and Kendall, 1937). 



In human beings with increased intracranial tension, usu- 

 ally the result of primary cerebral tumors, Kraus (1937) ob- 

 served a hyperplasia of the pars glandularis associated with 

 a similar change in the cortex of the adrenal glands, including 

 an increased accumulation of lipoids.^ Kraus believed that 

 the cortical hyperplasia was due to an increased secretion of 

 adrenal cortical stimulating hormone by the anterior pitui- 

 tary and described the phenomena as "corticotropic hyper- 

 pituitarism." He pointed out that cortical atrophy occurs in 

 the pituitary cachexia of Simmonds. The reports of Giordano 

 and Zeglio (1936) were available only in the form of ab- 

 stracts. These authors reported that adrenal cortical stimu- 

 lating hormone, recognized by its effect on the adrenal of the 

 guinea pig, can be extracted from the urine of patients with 

 hypertension. They believed that effects of urinary extracts 

 on the adrenal medulla could be detected but were less im- 

 portant. 



The chemistry and assay of adrenal cortical stimulating hor- 

 mone. — Little is known concerning the chemistry of cortical- 

 stimulating hormone. Although incidental observations on 

 the extraction and some properties of potent extracts are 

 mentioned in several reports, it appears that little is to be 

 gained from a review at this time. One method of extraction 

 which should be cited is that of Moon (1937), who reported 

 that by Lyons' method of preparing lactogenic extract the 

 material which is insoluble at pH 6.5 is rich in cortical-stim- 

 ulating hormone. Extract rich in lactogenic hormone is, by 

 this method of extraction, least soluble at pH ^.1^. 



* See also McQueen- Williams (1935). 



? The weight of the adrenal glands was 30-40 per cent greater than normal. 



[204I 



