EFFECT OF CORTIN AFTER PARTIAL AND AFTER COMPLETE HEPATECTOMY

Abstract

Expts. on partially hepatectomized rats indicate that the decrease in the blood vol., blood chlorides and blood sugar caused by ablation of 85% of the liver tissue in fasted rats is inhibited by adm. of an adrenal cortical extract, rich in the life-preserving principle. Since cortin, though without significant effect on the normal blood sugar level, inhibits both insulin hypoglycemia and adrenalin hyperglycemia, this hormone apparently possesses a blood sugar stabilizing effect. These expts. support this view. The decrease in blood sugar produced by complete hepatectomy is not significantly influenced even by large doses of cortin. The cortical hormone does not inhibit the utilization of circulating sugar; it probably prevents the hypoglycemic action of insulin or the decrease in blood sugar following the removal of a large part of the hepatic glycogen stores by stimulating gluconcogenesis in the liver.