THE RELATION OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX TO CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM

Abstract

Adrenal cortical extracts do not induce hyperglycemic blood-levels in normal animals. The life-maintaining hormone of the adrenal cortex when administered to adrenalectomized or adrenalectomized-depan-creatized animals maintains carbohydrate levels at their normal levels. It is unnecessary to assume that the adrenal elaborates a 2d hormone distinct from the life-maintaining principle. Purified potent extracts of the adrenal cortex do not stimulate ketonuria in the normal fasted rat. The adrenal cortex is not responsible for the deficiencies in carbohydrate metabolism observed after hypophysectomy; these are probably attributable to secondarily induced pathological changes in the liver and muscles. The adrenal cortex (unlike the pancreas or hypophysis) is not preeminently involved in the maintenance of normal carbohydrate metabolism.