THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND WHICH INCREASES LIVER FAT

Abstract

The substance of the ant. pituitary gland which increases liver fat in fasting animals was subjected to fractionation. The liver fat activity (L.F.A.) was tested with mice, ketogenic activity with rats, prolactin activity with pigeons, melano-phore-expanding activity with frogs and diabetogenic activity with dogs. The L.F.A. did not appear identical with prolactin, ketogenic or melanophore-expanding activity. Prolactin was not diabetogenic nor ketogenic. The tests indicated that ketogenic and diabetogenic activities ran parallel and might therefore be due to the same substance. The material which increases liver fat was fairly heat stable, since after heating for 22 hrs. at 58[degree] C and pH 3.5 a good proportion of the activity remained. The substance was most stable to heat at pH 3.5. It was rapidly destroyed by pepsin and trypsin.