Influence of Insulin on Protein Metabolism and Cardiac Glycogen in Houssay Animals

¹ From the George S. Cox Medical Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The urinary nitrogen excretion of hypophysectomized-depancreatized (Houssay) cats on constant diets was measured before and during the administration of insulin. Metabolic periods of 4–8 days were used. Nitrogen retention occurred in the absence of the anterior pituitary, when urinary glucose was reduced by 5 gm or more during insulin treatment. Otherwise, retention of nitrogen did not occur. Conventional calculation of the total utilization of glucose for these and control groups of animals suggest that the amount of change in glucose utilization and secondary hormonal effects exert more influence on protein metabolism than the actual amount of carbohydrate used. Restoration of hepatic tissue (protein) was grossly demonstrable. In animals lacking insulin, the anterior pituitary, or both, cardiac glycogen appeared to be significantly related to the level of blood glucose.