THE PRODUCTION OF PERMANENT DIABETES BY HIGHLY PURIFIED GROWTH HORMONE

Abstract

Dogs which had previously been used to test the diabetogenic activity of various anterior pituitary prepns. were allowed a rest period of 15 weeks during which there were no signs of diabetes. The dogs were then given injns. of a highly purified, crystalline growth hormone prepn., and permanent diabetes was produced in 2 of them. This required the subcut. injn. of avg. daily doses of 3.03 and 3.5 mg. for 27 and 3 days in dogs P. and F., respectively.. After ceasing the pituitary injns., the avg. daily sugar excretions during 6 weeks were 174 g. (dog P.) and 156 g. (dog W.). The admn. of insulin (for 7 weeks) maintained these diabetic dogs in excellent condition, and no other special treatment was required. There has been no sign of decrease in the severity of the diabetes during the 10- and 14-week periods since the pituitary injns. were stopped in dogs P. and W., respectively. The growth hormone prepn. had high growth-promoting activity when tested on hypophysectomized rats and about 3% of ACTH.