IMPROVEMENT IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES FOLLOWING THE ADMINISTRATION OF AMNIOTIN

Houssay and Biasotti 1 clearly demonstrated that, if the hypophysis was previously removed, the glycosuria following complete pancreatectomy was markedly diminished. These animals with both glands removed excreted only from 0.05 to 0.89 Gm. of dextrose per kilogram a day, while controls with the pituitary intact excreted from 2 to 4 Gm. per kilogram after the pancreas was removed. Furthermore, the animals survived much longer than pancreatectomized animals. We confirmed some of these observations in an earlier report. 2 Although it would not seem desirable to remove the hypophysis for the treatment of diabetes, the possibility exists that the excretion of the gland might be suppressed and the diabetes improved. We shall report the details of an attempt to suppress the pituitary in pancreatectomized dogs. 3 Considerable evidence has appeared to indicate that administration of estrogenic substance may suppress the sex principle in the pituitary. It was our intention to