Effect of Hypophysectomy and Subsequent Administration of Growth Hormone and ACTH on Serum Proteins of Dogs

¹ From the Departments of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, New York University College of Medicine, New York City

Changes in the serum proteins of dogs following hypophysectomy and administration of growth hormone or ACTH were studied by electrophoretic analysis. In the hypophysectomized dog a drop in the albumin concentration and a rise in the globulin concentration contributed to an average decrease of 38% in the A/G ratio. The continued administration of growth hormone to hypophysectomized dogs, in dosages sufficient to abolish their insulin hypersensitivity and to increase their renal functions, caused a further reduction in the concentration of the albumin and an increase in the concentration of the total globulin, thereby further decreasing the A/G ratio. ACTH therapy restored the serum proteins to the normal range in animals in which the hormone treatment resulted in adrenal hyperplasia and a restoration to normal of the adrenal gland weight, carbohydrate metabolism and renal function