Studies on the Metabolism of Adipose Tissue: The Stimulation of Oxygen Consumption by TSH Preparations in Relation to Growth Hormone and Other Pituitary Fractions

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Abstract
An attempt has been made to define the principle (s) present in growth hormone preparations responsible for their effect in vitro on the oxygen uptake of rat epididymal adipose tissue. An examination of whole pituitary powder and 8 fractions derived therefrom revealed that the active principle was present in the largest amounts in those fractions richest in TSH, while the fractions richest in growth hormone possessed a relatively low activity. Purified samples of TSH were found to be very active in increasing the oxygen uptake, and this stimulatory activity was proportional to the TSH content of the preparations. The oxygen uptake of adipose tissue was increased by the addition of as little as a few tenths of a milliunit per ml of TSH. The amount of TSH reported to be present in the growth hormone preparations is sufficient to account for the effect of these preparations on the oxygen uptake of adipose tissue. It is suggested that certain previously described actions of growth hormone preparations on adipose tissue in vitro may be due to traces of TSH in those preparations.