Abstract
Gigantism has been produced by Evans and Long 1 by the injections of an anterior pituitary extract in immature rats. The same result was obtained by Putnam, Teel and Benedict 2 , 3 when the extract was administered to a bulldog. Normal growth was induced by injections of this fluid in hypophysectomized rats although there was no evident repair of the thyroid, suprarenals or gonads. 4 Putnam, Teel and Benedict 2 state that “in hypophysectomized dogs and rats restoration of growth has been produced in preliminary experiments.”
The effect of the anterior pituitary extract upon a hypophysectomized puppy has been studied over a period of 2 1/2 months. A sterile bovine extract of the anterior lobe, the preparation of which is given elsewhere, 5 was kindly furnished by Dr. H. M. Evans of the University of California. This extract has been found active for the growth hormone when administered to rats.
By means of the intracranial approach of Dandy and Reichert 6 a total hypophysectomy was performed on an 8 weeks old female puppy. That a total extirpation was accomplished was indicated when the animal remained infantile and failed to grow over a period of 4 weeks. During this period the increase in length of both the femur and tibia, measured by skiagrams, was 6 mm. and of the skull 2 mm., while in the litter mate control the femur and tibia had lengthened 33 mm. and the skull 12 mm. The weight of the operated puppy increased 32 gm. while the control gained 88 gm.
Daily intraperitoneal injections (25 cc.) of the anterior pituitary extract were given during the following 2 1/2 months. At the end of this period the operated puppy although quite thin appeared in size the same as the control.
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