STEROID DIABETES IN GUINEA PIGS EFFECTS OF CORTISONE ADMINISTRATION ON BLOOD- AND URINARY GLUCOSE, NITROGEN EXCRETION, FAT DEPOSITION, AND THE ISLETS OF LANGERHANS

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Abstract
THE 11-oxygenated corticosteroids and ACTH have the well known property of aggravating an existing diabetes in humans and in rats, dogs and cats. In normal rats, however, a steroid diabetes can be induced only by simultaneous force feeding (Ingle, 1941; Ingle et al., 1946; Ingle et al., 1951). This study presents a report on cortisone diabetes in guinea pigs with free access to food. This diabetes resembles in many respects Cushin's syndrome in man but differs from the steroid diabetes in force fed rats. The most striking observations in the cortisone treated guinea pig were an extraordinary hypertrophy of the islets of the pancreas, increased gain of weight, obesity, and a positive or slightly positive nitrogen balance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male guinea pigs weighing about 600 gm. were used. All animals were fed Purine rabbit chow checkers and greens daily. After the body weight was followed for 3 to 4 weeks prior to the experiment,