A COMPARISON OF PITUITRIN WITH THE ANTIDIURETIC SUBSTANCE FOUND IN HUMAN URINE AND PLACENTA

Abstract
In agreement with previous observations, the urine from patients with toxemia of pregnancy contained large amts. of antidiuretic substance. Patients with hydatid mole (1 case) and hyperemesis gravidarum (3 cases) also excreted significant amts. of antidiuretic substance. Whereas commercial pituitrin was dialyzable through cellophane, was not concentrated by the ultra-centrifuge, and increased chloride excretion in the urine, the antidiuretic substance in urine did not pass through cellophane, was concentrated by the ultracentrifuge, and did not affect chloride excretion in the urine. Data indicated that an antidiuretic substance differing in important respects from the hormone of the post. pituitary can appear in the urine of human beings. Studies on fresh saline extracts and on press juice of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland indicated that the antidiuretic and chlor-uretic factor of the pituitary dialyzed more slowly than did commercial pituitrin and could be concentrated by the ultracentrifuge. In this more "natural" state, however, the pituitary substance still retained quantitatively its effect upon chloride excretion, and still differed radically in this respect from the antidiuretic substance found in urine. The placentas of patients with the toxemia of pregnancy contained larger quantities of antidiuretic substance than did placentas from normal patients. The antidiuretic substances from placentas resembled in all 3 respects the antidiuretic substance found in urine of such patients. The liver and kidney are considered briefly as other possible sources of antidiuretic activity.