Abstract
We have recently demonstrated the existence of a direct relationship between the height of the blood sugar level and the rate of sugar utilization in normal dogs. We have also shown that this same relationship persists (with some quantitative differences) during the absence of insulin, after total pancreatectomy in dogs. 1 These facts render it imperative to consider the characteristic blood sugar levels of different physiological preparations in any attempt to compare their relative abilities to utilize carbohydrate. The present preliminary report concerns the influence of the removal of the hypophysis upon sugar utilization, in the light of the above considerations.
The utilization of carbohydrate at various blood sugar levels in eviscerated hypophysectomized dogs, was determined under the same nutritional and experimental conditions and using the same methods of calculation as detailed in our previous publication. 1 The animals had been hypophysectomized 4 to 8 weeks previously by a method slightly modified from that of Dandy. 2 The functional lack of the gland was indicated by the hypoglycemic effects of fasting 3 before the experiments, and its anatomical absence was confirmed by autopsy examinations after the experiments.
The results are plotted in Fig. 1, where they may be compared to the smooth curves representing our previous results in normal and depancreatized animals. It may be seen that the hypophysectomized dogs utilized less sugar than the normal animals, at any given blood sugar level.
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