ADRENALECTOMY, GONADECTOMY AND THE INSULIN CONTENT OF THE PANCREAS

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Abstract
The insulin content of the pancreas increases with age; the pancreases of smaller (younger) rats contain the least insulin. Rats adrenalectomized for 3-10 days and maintained on NaCl do not show any appreciable alteration in the insulin content* of pancreas as compared with control rats receiving the same caloric intake. Ovariectomy and castration also do not lead to any appreciable change in insulin content. In the adrenalectomized and gonadectomized animals, the reduction in the insulin content of pancreas occasioned by the feeding of fat is similar to that obtained in control animals. Following the reduction by fat-feeding in the adrenalectomized animal, the insulin content can be restored to normal by feeding a balanced diet. It is concluded that the production and liberation of insulin by the pancreas can be regulated in response to dietary changes in the absence of adrenals or gonads.