On the Cells of Hypophysis after a Total Pancreatectomy

Abstract

This study was started by HOUSSAY in 1930, when he was extirpating the anterior lobe of the hypophysis from diabetic dogs after pancreatectomy, which was followed by HOFFMANN in 1931 who found the fact that the extract from the anterior lobe had an action to cause fat liver. In 1937 MACKAY found that by extirpating the adrenals, the action that produces fat liver was suppressed. From this series of studies it was made clear that the anterior lobe of the hypophysis and the adrenals played an important role in fat metabolism of the liver. Furthermore, MACKAY reported that the extract from the anterior lobe have a ketogenic action and this action, too, was suppressed by the extirpation of the adrenals. And it can be understood that the anterior lobe of the hypophysis and the adrenals also have relations with sugar metabolism Apart from the upper stated facts, the author was able to prove histologically from experiments where the pancreas was removed partially or totally that fat and probably sugar metabolism in liver cells have an intimate relationship with the adreno-coritcal function (See previous chapter). From these facts the author had to come to a conclusion that there was a need to study the anterior lobe of the hypophysis from a cyto-morphological standpoint at the time of total pancreatectomy. And from this study the author tried to clear the relationship between fat and sugar metabolism with the hypophysis- adrenocortical system. In preparing the materials, the animals of the first group received 35g/kg of raw pancreas mixed in their diet on the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th day after total pancreatectomy, while those in the second group had it mixed in their diet every day after operation. Then, after the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 20th days, 1 and 3 months after the operation the hypophysis was removed and histological specimens were made as in the previous chapter. And following results were obtained.1. When total pancreatectomy was performed on dogs there was an early structural change in the anterior lobe of the hypophysis and this change was most prominent on the 5th day after operation. This change appeared despite that raw pancreas was added to the diet, but it gradually recovered from the 7th day on and after the 2 months it was back to its nearly normal state. Therefore, it can be presumed that the anterior lobe of the hypophysis have relations with fat and sugar metabolism in the liver.2. The cytological change at the time of total pancreatectomy was that there was an increase of active cells among the 1st and 2nd type cells. Contrary to this, the 3rd type cells showed a decrease and at times nearly disappeared. These changes were also more obvious in type 2 cells than in type 1 cells.Histological changes seen in the anterior lobe of the hypophysis after total pancreatectomy and the author's findings in the previous chapter, that is, cytological changes in zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex appeared both at about the same time, which means that the hypophysis and the adrenal cortex have intimate rerations with each other. And it is thought that this will prove that both of them as factors in the hypophysis adrenal cortex system plays a series of important parts for fat and sugar metabolism in the liver cells.4. The appearance of cells with metachromatic granules in the posterior lobe of the hypophysis after total pancreatectomy could be thought that it means there is a further intimate relation between the pancreas and the hypophysis.