Effects of ACTH, Cortisone and Adrenal Cortical Extract on Carbohydrate Metabolism of Hypophysectomized Dogs.

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions Prolonged administration of ACTH and cortisone diminished and eventually abolished the insulin hypersensitivity of the hypophysectomized dog. Concomitant with these effects, ACTH and cortisone also abolished the secondary hypoglycemia of the intravenous glucose tolerance test and produced a marked blood sugar rise in response to adrenaline. In some animals, however, there appeared some degree of insulin resistance together with a diabetic-type of glucose tolerance and an increased response above normal to adrenaline. It is concluded, therefore, that the adrenal cortical atrophy of the hypophysectomized dog exerts a significant part in the production of the insulin hypersensitivity of this animal. Although the adrenal cortical steroids are potent anti-insulin agents, their exact role as anti-insulin agents cannot be delineated in view of the evidence that abnormal amounts of adrenocortical steroids were present in the above studies.