CHAPTER XV 

 THE PITUITARY BODY (continued) 



Relations of the Pituitary with Other Endocrine Organs 



The relationship of the pituitary to other internally secreting organs is 

 extensive. Cow has recently shown that the secretion of the posterior 

 lobe is excited by duodenal extract, which causes its hormones to be poured 

 out in unusual amount into the cerebro-spinal fluid. The secretion of 

 this lobe is also related to the glycogenic functions of the liver, and there 

 seems to be a mutual interaction between its autacoids and those of the 

 pancreas, suprarenals, thyroid and sexual glands. Further, Ascoli and 

 Legnani found, in dogs which survived for a sufficient time the operation 

 of removal of pituitary, a diminution in volume of the spleen, with dis- 

 appearance of the Malpighian corpuscles, precocious retrogression of the 

 thymus, enlargement of the thyroid due to accumulation of colloid within 

 its follicles similar to that seen in endemic goitre, and an increase of lipoids 

 in the cells of the cortex of the suprarenals. The relationship with certain 

 of these organs may be considered more particularly. 



With the Sexual Glands. — The relationship of the pituitary to the 

 sexual glands and secondary sexual characters has been dealt with in con- 

 sidering the symptoms associated with hypo- and hyper-pituitarism. Be- 

 sides the effect of these conditions on the state of development of the 

 secondary sexual characters and on the activity of the essential organs of 

 reproduction, the latter appear to have some reciprocal effect on the pituitary. 

 Several observers have described enlargement of the gland and increase in 

 the number of large oxyphil cells of the pars anterior as the result of 

 castration. Livingston finds that in rabbits the effect is greater in the female 

 than in the male. Further, Steinach and Scheidt aver that the changes in 

 the pituitary which would result from castration are prevented by im- 

 plantation of either ovary or testis in the castrated animal, and since the 

 generative cells undergo atrophy under these circumstances they ascribe 

 the result to the interstitial cells of the implanted organs. Moreover, it 

 is found that both menstruation and pregnancy are associated with hyper- 

 trophy of the gland. Indeed, as the result of pregnancy it may attain to 

 twice or three times its normal weight. 



With the Thyroid and Parathyroids. — That after the removal of the 

 thyroid the pituitary body becomes altered and enlarged was first shown 

 by Rogowitsch in 1886. His statements have been confirmed by all other 



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