Determination of the ketogenic activity of extracts of endocrine organs

Abstract

NUMEROUS workers have reported the ketogenic effects of crude extracts of the anterior hypophysis. Burn & Ling [1933] found that an alkaline extract of fresh glands after neutralization with acetic acid increased total ketonuria in seven rats out of seventeen fed on a high fat diet. All seven were females, and no rise was recorded in male rats. This work was confirmed by Black et al. [1934], who showed that ketogenic responses to extracts of the anterior pituitary could also be obtained in fasting rats. Meanwhile, Funk [1933] had isolated a material by benzoic acid adsorption from pregnancy or normal urine which caused an increase in ketonuria of rats; it is not clear from his paper whether these were fasting or on a fat diet. Butts et al. [1934] have shown that extracts prepared according to Burn and Ling greatly exaggerate the ketonuria of fasting rats and that of rats fed with aceto- acetic acid. As marked responses were obtained with male as with female rats, and with castrated animals as with normal ones. Best & Campbell [1936] using a neutralized alkaline pituitary extract precipitated with alcohol, again con- firmed the ketogenic effect on fasting female rats, and noted in addition a very great increase of liver fat.