AUGMENTATION OF PITUITARY CORTICOTROPHIC EXTRACTS AND THE EFFECT ON THE ADRENALS, THYMUS AND PREPUTIAL GLANDS OF THE RAT

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The corticotrophic effect of some pituitary extracts may be markedly augmented by the simultaneous inj. of other extracts of the pituitary, especially by a dilute saline suspension of the whole gland. By the use of such augmented extracts, adrenals weighing over 100 mgs. were produced in normal, ovariectomised and hypophysectomised [female] rats. The saline suspension augmenting-extracts exhibited good growth promoting properties and caused marked hypertrophy of the atrophied thymus gland in hypophysectomised rats. Such properties were not necessarily associated with the augmenting action. Corticotrophins consistently produced a loss in body wt. and thymus involution even when the augmenting extract was injected simultaneously. These changes were directly related to adrenal enlargement. The preputial glands similarly were stimulated and this effect was consistently augmented. In many cases, augmentation of the action on the preputials was roughly proportional to the trophic effect on the adrenals but in some cases an independent stimulation was apparent.