EFFECTS ON THE PANCREAS AND SALIVARY GLANDS 353 



cells appear much smaller in volume than in full-fed controls. The nuclei 

 (as in Diemyctylus) were less affected than the cytoplasm, but showed no change 

 in form. 



Fischer ('12) studied the pancreas in frogs and tritons fasting up to 4 months. 

 His results confirmed the transformation theory, indicating an increase in the 

 number of islets with marked reduction in the exocrine tissue and pancreas as a 

 whole. Intermediate forms were observed in both normal and fasting condi- 

 tions. Upon refeeding after a period of inanition, the islets were found to 

 undergo an involution, first disappearing almost entirely, later returning to 

 normal number, some islet cells being retransformed into acini. Changes in 

 the acinar gland cells during inanition were also described. 



Retterer ('13) claimed that during inanition in the guinea pig, not only are 

 the exocrine gland cells transformed into islet cells, but the islet cells may 

 form erythrocytes! 



Giannelli, BergaminiandLampronti ('14), on the other hand, found no change 

 in the number, size or structure of the pancreatic islets in the turtle dove, 

 rabbit and rat (?) during inanition. This result was confirmed and extended 

 by Giannelli and Bergamini ('14, '14a) for the fasting lizard (Lacerta muralis) 

 and frog {Rana esculenta). In both of these forms, measurements of the areas 

 in cross section showed a relative (not absolute) increase in the islets, which 

 undergo but slight shrinkage in comparison with the marked atrophy of the 

 pancreatic tubules during inanition. Thus in the frog the islets present an 

 increase of about one-third in relative area, and in the lizard they appear nearly 

 doubled; although actually slightly decreased in absolute size. 



Giannelli (.'16) likewise found that in the teleost fish, Tinea vulgaris, the 

 pancreas is greatly atrophied by inanition. Measurements from serial sections 

 showed 25 islets per sq. mm., as compared with 23 per sq. mm. in normal con- 

 trols. They likewise showed little change in structure, size or distribution of 

 the islets. The cells of the secretory tubules appeared greatly decreased in 

 size and homogeneous in structure, the granular zone having disappeared. 



Mann ('16) found that in the hibernating gopher {Spermophilus tridecem- 

 lineatus) the pancreatic islets undergo but very slight changes in structure. 



Barry ('20, '21) noted practically normal weight of the pancreas in the 

 stunted offspring of pregnant albino rats subjected to severe underfeeding. 



McCarrison ('21) found great atrophy of the pancreas in starved pigeons, 

 the loss in pancreatic weight appearing relatively nearly twice as great as that 

 in the body as a whole (Fig. 35). 



Miller. ('22) studied the effect of acute inanition and vitamin deficiency 

 upon the mitochondria of the epithelium in the pancreas and intestine of the 

 albino rat. No marked changes were observed except in advanced stages 

 with marked cell degeneration, which involved a transformation of the rod- 

 like mitochondria to granular forms, with a reduction in their number, or some- 

 times total disappearance. 



Trowbridge, Moulton and Haigh ('18) and Moulton, Trowbridge, and 

 Haigh ('22a) noted that in steers on various planes of nutrition the relative 

 weight of the pancreas is not much affected. 



