Influence of alloxan diabetes on growth hormone content of the rat hypophysis

¹ Department of Physiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts

Homogenates of adenohypophysial tissue obtained from alloxan-injected adult male rats varying in duration and severity of diabetes, as well as from diabetic rats maintained on an insulin-replacement regimen, were assayed in immature hypophysectomized female rats. The ability of these crude hypophysial extracts to encourage tibial cartilage width expansion, gain in body weight, and to depress hematocrit and blood urea levels was determined. Significant decrements in ability to increase epiphysial cartilage width and ability to depress hematocrits were noted 14 to 28 days following injection of alloxan. Increasing the intensity of the diabetic state was associated with decreased growth-promoting potency of hypophysial preparations as well as with decreased ability to influence hematological indices. Hypophysial extracts taken from insulin-treated diabetic rats contained more growth hormone than equivalent amounts of tissue obtained from control rats. It is concluded that the adenohypophyses of diabetic rats contain diminished amounts of growth hormone and that insulin repairs or encourages greater than normal accumulation of somatotrophin in these animals.

Key Words: alloxan and somatotrophin • diabetes in rats • insulin and growth hormone synthesis • hypophysial response to diabetes • diabetes and somatotrophin • pituitary growth hormone content • diabetes and adenohypophysis

Submitted on February 21, 1963