Histological Effects of Diabetogenic Anterior Pituitary Extracts

Abstract

AT the request of Prof. C. H. Best, in whose department studies were being made on other aspects of the diabetogenic effects of pituitary extracts, we made a histological study of the tissues of dogs which were receiving daily injections of an anterior lobe extract. The clinical evidences of diabetes as well as the results of insulin assays on the pancreases of these animals is reported elsewhere (Best, Campbell and Haist1). For our work, pancreas tissue was obtained under anæsthesia, other tissues shortly after death. Tissues were fixed in Zenker-formol and Bouin's solution and sectioned in paraffin. Three micron pancreas sections were stained by the Mallory-azan technique, Bowie's stain and other methods giving islet cell differentiation. Hæmatoxylin and eosin sections were prepared from all the organs. The histological findings are summarized in the following table.