Hormonal Repair of Defective Lipogenesis from Glucose in the Liver of the Hypophysectomized Rat

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Abstract
1. The conversion of glucose carbon to fatty acids and CO2 was investigated in slices prepared from the livers of hypophysectomized rats that had been treated with 3 purified anterior pituitary preparations (ACTH, growth and lactogenic hormones) and L-thyroxine. 2. The daily injection of 50 μg of ACTH for 14 days brought about complete repair of the defective conversion of glucose to fatty acids observed in the liver of the hypophysectomized rat. 3. The daily administration of as much as 300 μg of growth hormone for 14 days had no effect on the lipogenesis. The same treatment with 100 jug of lactogenic hormone also failed to repair the defect in hepatic lipogenesis of the hypophysectomized rat. 4. Daily treatment with 6 μg of L-thyroxine for 14 days restored to normal the capacity of the liver of the hypophysectomized rat to convert glucose to fatty acids. The same treatment with 3 μg of this hormone was ineffective. 5. The combined daily administrations for 14 days of (a) 3 μg of L-thyroxine and 100 μg of growth hormone or (b) 100 μg of lactogenic and 100 ng of growth hormone did repair the lipogenesis. Each hormone by itself had no effect. 6. The close parallel observed between the effects produced on hepatic lipogenesis and calorigenesis by hypophysectomy and those produced by the chronic administration of the various hormones indicates that one of the factors controlling the conversion of glucose to fatty acids in the liver is the Qo2 of that tissue.