COMPARISON OF THE DIABETOGENIC ACTION OF CORTISONE AND GROWTH HORMONE IN DIFFERENT SPECIES

Abstract

Cortisone acetate in doses up to 200 mg/day, exerted only a very slight diabetogenic action in cats. Small doses of growth hormone (2.5 or 5.0 mg/day) produced only a moderate hyperglycemia. When such small doses of growth hormone were given simultaneously with cortisone acetate, a marked hyperglycemic and glycosuria developed. This synergistic effect was more marked in animals pretreated with cortisone and then with the combined treatment, than in those pretreated with growth hormone prior to the combined treatment. Cortisone acetate in doses up to 200 mg induced mild steroid diabetes in one dog on kennel ration (meat and milk), but failed to induce diabetes in a 2d dog fed a high carbohydrate diet. Guinea pigs injected with cortisone acetate develop severe diabetes which persists for several days after treatment is discontinued. The diabetic guinea pigs showed marked increase in size and number of Langerhans islets The severity of cortisone-induced diabetes was not greater in partially depancreatized animals. No permanent, metasteroid diabetes was observed in intact or partially depancreatized guinea pigs. Growth hormone caused only mild and transient hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia and glycosuria induced by repeated intraperitoneal injection of glucose was not intensified giving growth hormone. Combined treatment with cortisone acetate and growth hormone failed to show any evidence of a synergistic effect. In the rabbit cortisone acetate induced marked diabetes, whereas growth hormone caused only mild hyperglycemia. There was no synergistic effect upon combined treatment with the 2 agents.