EFFECT OF PITUITARY PREPARATIONS ON GLYCOGEN STORES OF FASTED MICE

Abstract

Pretreatment of fasted mice (dba) with saline extracts of either ant. or post. pituitary tissue resulted in a marked increase in total body glycogen stores. Protein hydrochlorides prepared by the picrate acetone method from ant. as well as post. pituitary tissue were equally as potent as the saline extracts; the post. were far more potent than either of the ant. lobe preps. Such extracts on adm. to mice whose glycogen stores had been depleted by fasting, produced a marked rise in glycogen levels; 2-4 hrs. after a single inj. of either of the post. lobe extracts a lowering of the body glycogen was observed, followed in 6-8 hrs. by values increasing to supranormal levels. The effect occurred mainly on the liver. The glycotrophic effects of these extracts were observed in the rat, guinea pig and rabbit. Similar effects were observed with the international post. pituitary standard as well as with Stehle''s purified pressor substance; Stehle''s purified qxytocin prep. was ineffective in the doses used. The pituitary protein hydrochlorides apparently retained physiological properties at room temp.