ALLOXAN DIABETES IN THE DOG1

Abstract

EXPERIMENTAL diabetes mellitus in dogs has been produced by pancreatectomy (Mehring and Minkowski, 1890; Allen, 1914) and by treatment with anterior pituitary extract (Houssay, Biasotti and Rietti, 1932; Evans, Meyer, Simpson and Reichert, 1932). The possibility that a third, or chemical, type of diabetes may be produced was first suggested by Dunn, Sheehan and McLetchie (1943). They found that alloxan has a specific necrosing action on both the pancreatic islet cells and the epithelium of the renal convoluted tubules when injected into rabbits intravenously or intraperitoneally in doses of 100 to 500 mg. per kg. Previously, Jacobs (1937) had observed that similar doses of alloxan produce in rabbits an initial hy-perglycemia followed by severe and prolonged hypoglycemia of which most of the animals die unless glucose injections are given; Jacobs, however, did not report histologic studies. Dunn and co-workers confirmed the production of alloxan hypoglycemia and found that it is accompanied by a marked rise of blood urea nitrogen.