Abstract
Doctor Oliver Kamm and his associates kindly furnished us with experimental lots of their vasopressin and oxytocin and we were enabled to study in normal unanesthetized dogs and rabbits the changes in blood sugar following the intravenous injection of these 2 principles, as also the commercial pituitrin (obstetrical, Parke, Davis & Co.). We found that vasopressin, oxytocin and pituitrin caused a very definite hyperglycemia. The rise of blood sugar with oxytocin is more prolonged but not as high as with vasopressin. The hyperglycemia after pituitrin is intermediate in degree between that of vasopressin and oxytocin. These 3 substances behave differently in their hyperglycemic activity after treatment with 2 N sodium hydroxide in the cold. In the case of vasopressin the sugar raising property is practically completely destroyed whereas the oxytocin and pituitrin are only partially injured in respect to this property. The extent of destruction appears to be less with pituitrin than with oxytocin. This may be due to the larger amount of protein present in the pituitrin.
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