Abstract
Loeb and Bassett 1 have shown that an acid extract of cattle anterior pituitary produces hypertrophy of the thyroid gland of guinea pigs. They noted that this experimentally produced hypertrophy characterized by an enlargement of the acinar cells, softening and absorption of colloid, and an irregular and often slit-like shape of the acini, and by the formation of papillary ingrowths into the acini resembles the pathological change in the thyroid gland in Graves disease. In a series of papers from this laboratory this similarity between the effects produced by the injection of extracts of the anterior pituitary gland of cattle and the symptoms of Graves disease has been further emphasized. Loeb and Friedman 2 have produced exophthalmos in guinea pigs by repeated intraperitoneal injections of acid extract of the anterior pituitary. Siebert 3 showed that this extract produced a rise in metabolism which was counteracted by the administration of potassium iodide, observations which accorded with the depressing effect of potassium iodide on the hypertrophy of the thyroid gland elicited by anterior pituitary which had previously been noted by Silberberg. 4 McCordock and Hageman 5 produced tachycardia in guinea pigs by means of this extract. Closs, Loeb, and MacKay 6 in joint investigations from this laboratory and the Scripps Metabolic Clinic in La Jolla, found the changes in the distribution of iodine in the thyroid gland and in the blood called forth by extract of anterior pituitary to be the same as those observed in Graves disease. Notwithstanding the similarity between these two conditions, Loeb 7 believes that while the anterior pituitary may possibly play a certain role in the etiology of Graves disease, there is reason for assuming that various other factors may elicit an overaction of the thyroid gland.
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