THE PITUITARY BODY 



(apparently the medullary tissue), and the metabolism of 

 carbohydrates is discussed in the next section. 



THE METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES. EXPERIMENTAL EVI- 

 DENCE THAT THE PARS GLANDULARIS, THE PANCREAS, 

 AND THE ADRENAL GLANDS MAY BE INTERRELATED IN 

 CONTROLLING THE METABOLISM OF CARBOHYDRATES^ 



The effects of the extirpation of the gland{s). i. Hypophysec- 

 tomy.^ — Different phases of the metabolism of carbohydrates 

 have been investigated in hypophysectomized fish, amphibia, 

 birds, and mammals (rat, rabbit, cat, and dog). Most of these 

 data have been considered already; however, the conclusions 

 which can be reached will be reviewed here. 



After hypophysectomy the concentration of sugar in the 

 blood may be normal or reduced — sometimes markedly. 

 Usually starvation promptly causes hypoglycemia, which 

 may be so severe that convulsions appear. There is general 

 agreement that the hypophysectomized animal is abnormally 

 sensitive toward insulin. Not only do small doses of insulin 

 provoke a marked hypoglycemia, but there is also an ab- 

 normal delay in the return of the blood-sugar concentration 

 to its former level. Epinephrin (or the pressor hormone of 

 the pars neuralis) is then much less effective in increasing the 

 concentration of the blood sugar. (Also, without insulin 

 treatment these substances cause only a slight hyperglycemia 

 in the hypophysectomized animal in comparison with the 

 normal.) 



There is some evidence that the blood of the hypophy- 

 sectomized dog contains an increased concentration of insulin 



* See also the following pages in chap, ii: 35-36, 39, 42-43, 57, 61-64, 69, 71, 

 and 75-76. For clinical observations or recent references to the clinical literature, 

 see Colwell (1927); Davidoff and Gushing (1927); Atkinson (1932); Gushing (1933); 

 and Houssay (1933). 



9 Besides the references of chap, ii, see Houssay and others (1925); Gaebler 

 (1929); Di Benedetto (1931); Houssay and others (1933); Gorkill, Marks, and White 

 (1934); Kepinov and Guillaumie (1934); and Fluch, Greiner, and Loewi (1935). 



[2861 



