FALL IN BLOOD SUGAR FROM ANTERIOR PITUITARY EXTRACT1

Abstract

THE fall in blood sugar produced by anterior pituitary extracts has been found with preparations of widely different preparative histories and containing different associated pituitary hormones. Thus, Horsters (1933) employed the thyrotropin preparation of Junkmann and Schoeller (1932) to lower the blood sugar of rabbits and certain human patients, while Hoffmann and Anselmino (1933) obtained this effect in dogs with a thyrotropin-free ultrafiltrate of pituitary extract. Collip and co-workers observed small changes in several species with an alcoholic pituitary extract and with a preparation which had been boiled for 15 minutes at pH 10 (Collip, 1940; O’Donovan and Collip, 1938). More recently, Millman and Russell (1950) found the crystalline growth hormone preparation of Wilhelmi, Fishman and Russell (1948) effective in lowering the blood sugar of rats, and attributed the hypoglycemic effect to growth hormone. This preparation was also shown to have anti-insulin properties in the same species.