Influence of hypophysectomy and starvation on blood glucose levels in the newt, notophthalmus viridescens

Abstract

Abstract Blood glucose and liver glycogen levels were determined in hypophysectomized, sham‐operated and unoperated control animals all of which had been starved for 10–15 days. The results show that starvation causes a significant decrease in newt blood glucose and that this decrease is not enhanced by hypophysectomy or sham‐operation during a 15‐day period. These data indicate that effects of short periods of hypophysectomy on regenerating tissues are probably not due to a drop in available carbohydrate. However, the data do not indicate what the possible effects of long‐term hypophysectomy on blood glucose would be.