PARS GLANDULx^RIS AND METABOLISM 



cretion of Mg both in the urine and in the feces was reduced 

 in irradiated animals. 



/According to the interpretation of Brull (1937) the pitui- 

 tary body is important in the maintenance of the level of in- 

 organic P in the blood, because after hypophysectomy the 

 renal threshold for PO4 rises. In the dog anesthetized by 

 chloralose, the excretion of PO4 almost disappears but can be 

 reinstated by the injection of parathyroid hormone, which is 

 believed to act directly on the kidneys. If hypophysectomy 

 is then performed, urine is excreted at an increased rate, but 

 PO4 almost disappears from the urine, although its concen- 

 tration in the blood rises from a level of 8.4 mg. per cent to a 

 level of 10. o mg. per cent. 



The pituitary body and the metabolism of calcium. The in- 

 terrelationship of the pars glandularis and the parathyroid 

 glands?'" — Some further evidence that parathyroid function 

 is affected by the anterior pituitary has been published. 

 Gerschman and Marenzi (1935) concluded that large doses of 

 alkaline anterior pituitary extract can cause a small elevation 

 (i .9 mg. per cent) of the level of Ca in the blood of dogs and 

 that such an effect still can be produced after hypophysec- 

 tomy or thyroidectomy but not after thyroparathyroidec- 

 tomy. However, the authors' data do not include the level of 

 Ca after thyroparathyroidectomy but before injection; after 

 injection the concentration of Ca was 5.02 mg. per cent. The 

 reports of Speransky-Stepanova (1936) (Speranskaia-Stepa- 

 nowa) were based upon observations in two hypophysecto- 

 mized dogs. The level of Ca in the serum was not affected by 

 hypophysectomy but promptly fell after subsequent thyro- 

 parathyroidectomy which, of course, caused tetany.''^ Both 

 in rats (Friedgood, 1936) and in guinea pigs (Friedgood and 



•is Freyberg and Grant (1936) studied the metabolism of Ca and P in a patient 

 described as suffering from pituitary basophilism. The changes, contrary to what 

 might be expected, were found not to resemble those of hyperparathyroidism (see 

 also the review of Rivoire, 1935). 



^^ Tetany was not accompanied by an inhibition of diuresis as in dogs with an 

 intact pituitary. 



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