82 



THE SEX-COMPLEX 



Effects of 

 suprarenin 

 and infund- 

 ibulin on 

 pancreatic 

 secretion. 



Pemberton and Sweet 1 , after a careful study of the 

 relation of the internal secretions to pancreatic activity, 

 have come to the following conclusions : " (1) The 

 "inhibition of pancreatic activity by adrenalin and 

 " pituitary extract (infundibulin) is independent of the 

 ;t systemic blood-pressure, as shown by its persistence 

 " when the blood-pressure is much below normal and 

 " by other evidence. (2) The inhibition by extracts 

 " of pituitary and suprarenal bodies also occurs when 

 " the pancreas is stimulated by its normal excitant, 

 " hydrochloric acid, in the duodenum." 



It is possible, therefore, that alterations in the carbo- 

 hydrate metabolism are not always directly attributable 

 to primary pituitary, suprarenal or pancreatic disease, 

 since the activities of these organs in this direction are 

 closely related, but that the suprarenals and pituitary 

 may indirectly affect the functions of the pancreas and 

 vice versa. 



Effects of 

 pancreatic 

 extracts. 



THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PANCREATIC EXTRACTS 



The effects of injections of and feeding with pan- 

 creatic extracts have been observed chiefly in relation 

 to the arrest of the diabetic symptoms that follow the 

 removal of the pancreas. The temporary beneficial 

 effect which may be seen has, however, been attri- 

 buted to the general depressing effects of proteins, 

 among which is a reduction in the sugar-content of 

 the blood, rather than to any specific supplementative 

 action 2 . 



Starling and Evans3 found that pancreatic extracts 

 have no effect on the reduced respiratory quotient of 

 the diabetic heart. In regard to the normal heart these 

 observers state that pancreatic extracts have an action 

 which resembles that of suprarenin. 



1 Pemberton, R., and J. E. Sweet, Archiv. Inter. Med., 1910, vol. v, 

 p. 466. 



2 McGuigan, H., and E. L. Ross, Journ. Biol. Chem., 1915, vol. 

 xxii, p. 417. 



3 Starling, E. H., and C. L. Evans, Journ. Physiol., 1914, vol. 

 xlix, p. 67. 



