Adipokinetic Activity of Oxycel-Purified Corticotropin.

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Abstract
The fat-mobilizing of several extracts obtained in the fractionation of hog anterior pituitary by the glacial acetic acid-oxycellulose method was studied by determining the quantity of lipid in the liver of female mice 3-7 hrs. after injn. Control mice averaged 6.9% liver lipid. The most active adipokinin was oxycel-purified corticotropin (prepn.D) which administered intraperit. in a dosage of 3-15 jug. caused the hepatic lipid concn. to rise to 10% within 3 hrs. Preparation D was approx. 100 times as active as the anterior pituitary powder from which it was derived, and approx. 1/3 of the total adipokinin activity was recovered in this fraction. The adipokinetic activity of this extract was considerably reduced by prolonged treatment with pepsin and trypsin. Preparation D is prepared from a crude extract containing virtually no thyrotropin and gonadotropin. The adipokinetic activity of prepn. D was 20-100 times greater than that of 2 growth hormone prepns. Preparation D contains corticotropin and intermedin as well as adipokinin. Adipokinin is distinct from intermedin since by heating the extract at alkaline pH one enhances the intermedin potency and decreases the fat-mobilizing activity. Preparation D produced fatty livers in adrenalectomized mice maintained with cortisone. Pituitary adipokinin appears to be a principle distinct from the gonadotropins, thyrotropin, growth hormone, corticotropin, and intermedin.