Abstract
Summary
1) A study of levels of several electrolytes and various other substances concerned with protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism has been made in blood and urine of dogs subjected to removal of alpha cell containing part of pancreas by selective, partial pancreatectomy. 2) Despite previous suggestions by others, there was no definite evidence in our work of a relationship between functional activity of alpha cells and any of the substances studied, with the possible exception of blood non-protein nitrogen. Since this was significantly elevated in all experiments and was not associated with a significant increase in urinary nitrogen excretion nor loss of weight, it is possible that absence of alpha cells exerts a slight inhibitory effect on protein synthesis.
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