METABOLISM IN ORGANIC HYPERINSULINISM

Abstract

In 1932 Britton and Silvette 1 demonstrated that the secretion of the adrenal cortex is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate. The experiments of Long and Lukens in 1936, 2 indicating that severe pancreatic diabetes could be greatly ameliorated by bilateral adrenalectomy, stimulated further investigation of the role of the adrenal cortex in carbohydrate metabolism. Much information has since been obtained with respect to the physiologic processes involved and the specific fractions of the adrenal cortical secretion responsible for the effects produced. 3 Since 1937 evidence has been presented which indicates that adrenal cortical extracts are capable of raising the blood sugar of normal, starving, starving-hypophysectomized, partially depancreatized and depancreatized-adrenalectomized animals. 4 Further, it has been reported 5 that normal mice are rendered resistant to the hypoglycemic effects of insulin by the previous administration of adrenal cortical extracts. These observations, indicating an anti-insulin effect of such substances, suggested this investigation.