Effect of Adrenocortical and Hypophyseal Hormones on Uptake of Fat by Isolated Perfused Liver

¹ From the Department of Physiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

The effect of adrenocortical and anterior pituitary hormones on the uptake of neutral fat by the perfused rat liver has been investigated. It was observed that adrenalectomy increased the rate of fat uptake. Cortisone treatment of adrenalectomized animals reduced the rate of fat uptake to that of the normal fed state. Cortisone and hydrocortisone administered in vivo, or added to the perfusion fluid in vitro, reduced the rapid rate of fat uptake resulting from 48 hours of fasting. Hydrocortisone administered to normal fed rats did not depress the rate of fat uptake. The administration of crude anterior pituitary extracts to the normal fed animal significantly increased fat uptake. Hypophysectomy increased the rate of fat uptake. Administration of growth hormone to the normal fed animal 3–8 hours prior to killing, or added to perfusion fluid in vitro, increased the rate of fat uptake.