PARS GLANDULARIS AND METABOLISM 



secretion of the anterior pituitary hormone affecting carbo- 

 hydrate metabolism. 



It is still the belief of Lucke (Lucke, 1936; Lucke and 

 Kroger, 1936) that the diabetogenic effects of anterior pitui- 

 tary extract are due ultimately to an action on the adrenal 

 glands — presumably because unusual amounts of epinephrine 

 are liberated. This view appears to be untenable, because 

 extract of the pars glandularis causes typical diabetogenic 

 effects, including, of course, an elevation of the blood sugar 

 after removal of all adrenal medullary tissue or bilateral 

 splanchnotomy (Houssay and Leloir, 1935). However, Hous- 

 say and Leloir do agree that an immediate temporary rise 

 in the concentration of sugar in the blood due to the injec- 

 tion of anterior pituitary extract requires the presence of 

 adrenal tissue," 



Confusion is the chief result of considering reports on the 

 effects of adrenal cortical extract or of extracts of the anterior 

 pituitary with cortical-stimulating effects. Anselmino, Hoff- 

 mann, and Rhoden (1936) concluded that adrenal cortical 

 extract prevented the loss of hepatic glycogen which other- 

 wise occurred after the injection of an anterior pituitary ex- 

 tract into rats. Corey's experiments (1937), likewise in rats, 

 were performed under different conditions. Adrenal cortical 

 extract caused hyperglycemia in non-fasted hypophysecto- 

 mized rats and in normal and hypophysectomized rats fasted 

 for 48 hours. ^^ In the latter group there was no apparent 

 effect on the glycogen of the liver or muscle; however, the 

 concentrations of glycogen before injection are not given 



" Kepinov (1936) concluded that the hberation of epinephrine from the adrenal 

 in response to the injection of insulin is not disturbed by hypophysectomy in the 

 dog. The liberated epinephrine, however, affected the level of blood sugar much less. 

 The same author (1937) also believed that anterior pituitary extract or extract of 

 liver or muscle restores epinephrine glycogenolysis in the liver of the frog after a long 

 perfusion. An obvious objection to this conclusion is the author's failure to estimate 

 the lactic acid, glucose, or glycogen in his extracts, although extracts of liver or 

 muscle of hypophysectomized animals were said not to contain the necessary sub- 

 stance. 



^3 The extracts did not alter the blood pressure of cats anesthetized by "Amytal." 



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