PARS GLANDULARIS AND METABOLISM 



Perla and Sandberg (1936) observed that the excretion of 

 N in the urine is increased by 100 per cent during the first 

 few weeks after hypophysectomy and remains elevated for 

 weeks later. The observations of Yokoyama (1935) indicated 

 that, several weeks after hypophysectomy, the dog excretes 

 considerably less total N, uric acid, and urea. Slighter but 

 similar changes in the behavior of allantoin, ammonia, and 

 creatinine were also reported. 



The metabolism of creatine and creatinine in relation to the 

 anterior pituitary. — The excretion of nitrogen and creatinine 

 are about the same in normal and hypophysectomized rats, 

 provided that the diet contains sufficient protein. However, 

 if the diet is free from nitrogen, less of both constituents is 

 excreted by hypophysectomized animals. Braier and Morea 

 (1935) interpret these findings as further evidence that endog- 

 enous protein metabolism is reduced as a result of hypophy- 

 sectomy. 



The concentration of creatine in the hamstring muscle of 

 the toad {Xenopus laevis) falls about 15 per cent 18-22 weeks 

 after the removal of the pars glandularis or the whole pi- 

 tuitary. The opposite effect is produced by the injection of 

 anterior pituitary extract — the concentration of creatine may 

 increase about 30 per cent "^i^-^^ weeks after injections are 

 started in normal toads. These observations were reported 

 by Shapiro and Zwarenstein (1936), who believed that the 

 effect is mediated through another gland. '^ Nitzescu and 

 Gontzea (1937) concluded that the anterior pituitary extract 

 "xAntuitrin G," although without effect in normal indi- 

 viduals, increases the creatinuria of patients classified as suf- 

 fering from infantilism, dwarfism, and dystrophia adiposo- 

 genitalis. The extract also lessened the tolerance for creatine 



3^ The secretions of the gonads are of great importance in the metabolism of 

 creatine; e.g., Kun and Peczenik (1936) recently concluded that, at least in the rat, 

 creatinuria appears if there is testicular deficiency and disappears after the injection 

 of male hormone, whereas spayed females excrete no creatine in the urine unless an 

 oestrogen be injected. The male and female hormones, therefore, appeared to 

 affect creatine-metabolism in opposite directions. 



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