Observations on the Preparation, Properties and Source of the Parathyroid Hormone. Part I

Abstract

The hormone obtained by Collip and Clark yields a precipitate with picric acid which is insoluble in water but soluble in 70% acetone, and can be converted into a hydrochloride similar to insulin picrate. The acetone-picric acid method of Dodds and Dickens may be used also to extract the parathyroid hormone. Contrary to Collip, and Macleod and Taylor, injection of massive doses of hormone at 4-hour ntervals nto rabbits leads to marked hypercalcaemia. Insulin, whether made by the alcohol or by the acetone-picric acid process, raised the serum Ca of rabbits; an extract of pancreas prepared by Collip and Clark''s method behaved similarly. Pituitrin also caused slight increase, but when injected together with insulin the serum-Ca-elevating and blood-sugar-lowering properties of the latter were inhibited. For the pharmacological tests rabbits were used. Large animals, fed throughout the experiments with bran mash and cabbage, were employed, and under these conditions the normal serum-Ca content remains constant within 1 mgm. per 100 cc. during the 24 hours.