PARS GLANDULARIS AND METABOLISM 



glandularis. Extracts of the anterior pituitary were found 

 to cause hypertrophy and hyperemia of the islet tissue of the 

 pancreas of the rat. New formation of islet tissue was also 

 reported. Changes in the level of the blood sugar or hepatic 

 glycogen were found to conform to the interpretation that 

 the extract also promoted the secretion of insulin. 



So far as the histological change is concerned, confirma- 

 tory reports have been published by the authors themselves, 

 by Picinelli (1936), Chrzanowski and Grzycki (1937), and 

 Roussy and Mosinger (1937). Roussy and Mosinger believed 

 that the effect is associated with suitable contact with neuro- 

 ganglionic tissue {neu7'ocrifjie pancreatique). On the other 

 hand, despite efforts to duplicate exactly the experiments of 

 Anselmino and Hoffmann, neither Elmer, Giedosz, and 

 Scheps (1937) nor Santo (1938) could offer confirmatory ob- 

 servations. The obvious importance of an effort to evaluate 

 "pancreatropic" effects quantitatively has been neglected by 

 all authors except Richardson and Young (1937). These au- 

 thors demonstrated that a saline extract of fresh anterior 

 pituitary of the ox can cause, after daily injection for 2-3 

 weeks, an increase in the absolute amount of islet tissue as 

 well as a doubling of the ratio of islet tissue to acinar tissue. 

 However, in another strain of rats, receiving no treatment, 

 the ratio was found to be just as high. 



There appeared to be little or no effect of the extract of 

 Richardson and Young on the blood-sugar level of their rats. 

 Elmer and his colleagues (1937) likewise could demonstrate 

 no effect with extracts made according to the directions of 

 Anselmino and Hoffmann. Positive results were obtained by 

 Zunz and La Barre (1935). Pancreatropic extract furnished 

 by Anselmino and Hoffmann was injected intravenously into 

 dogs with the pancreatic vein anastomosed with a jugular 

 vein of a second animal which, preferably, was prevented 

 from liberating epinephrine. The injection of the extract 

 caused a lowering of the level of the blood sugar in the second 



[225] 



