Fractions of Commercial Pitressin which Release ACTH.

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Abstract
Summary Commercial pitressin, hydro-lyzed or nonhydrolyzed, exhibits ACTH-releasing activity when incubated with pitui-taries in Warburg flasks and the incubation fluid infused i.v. into hypophysectomized rats. The ACTH-releasing agent of pitressin can be separated from the pressor component by Craig counter current distribution or by destroying the latter by acid hydrolysis. The hydrolysates when infused i.v. do not deplete the adrenal ascorbic acid of hypophysectomized rats. Unmodified pitressin will release ACTH in vivo from pituitaries of steroid inhibited rats. The histamine-like substance present in acid hydrolysates is not the ACTH-releasing agent and can be separated from it. Histamine added to the Warburg incubation fluid does not induce ACTH release.