STUDIES IN THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE GROWTH-PROMOTING EXTRACTS OF THE ANTERIOR HYPOPHYSIS*

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Abstract
A number of dogs received injections of a sterile extract of the anterior hypophysis, prepared by a modification of Evans'' method, for over a year. These animals exhibited a condition closely simulating human acromegaly, such as a vivacious appetite, enlargement of the tongue and an increase in connective tissue. At autopsy a marked splanchnomegaly was evident. Changes were greatest in the reproductive tract; the vaginae and uteri were greatly enlarged and the ovaries were 4 times the weight of the controls. Chemical studies revealed that injection of the growth-promoting extracts decreased the NPN of the blood 20-30% (when compared with fasting level). Control injections were ineffective. Analyses of the urine of dogs fed a constant diet (Cowgill''s synthetic) showed that there was a retention of N; P practically disappeared from the urine. Calcium excretion was considerably increased. Studies made on giant rats, which had received injections of the growth-promoting extracts, showed that they had a basal metabolic rate of 13% lower than normal. Observations made on the experimental dogs showed that many samples of the anterior lobe extracts possessed marked diuretic properties. This was not a constant finding, however.

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