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THE EFFECTS OF INSULIN INJECTION UPON THE BODY AND ORGANS OF THE WHITE RAT
Author(s) -
Herring P. T.
Publication year - 1927
Publication title -
quarterly journal of experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0370-2901
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1927.sp000403
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , insulin , pancreas , spleen , endocrine system , islet , pancreatic islets , stain , kidney , hormone , biology , staining , pathology
The hypodermic administration to young white rats of a daily dose of insulin insufficient to produce convulsions has no effect upon the rate of growth of the body in either the male or the female. The injection of insulin has little effect, if any, upon the weights of the thyroids, pituitary body, and suprarenals. The thyroids of the rats injected with insulin, however, present histological changes which are interpreted as suggestive of a decreased activity of these glands. The islets of Langerhans of the pancreas are increased in size and stain more deeply with eosin in the rats injected with insulin. No definite distinction between the α and β cells of the islets is recorded, although this was looked for, but the granular content of most of the cells of the islets is increased. The thymus, spleen, heart, kidneys, liver, testes, and ovaries show no alterations. The experiments indicate that the continued use of insulin does not upset the general balance maintained by the endocrine glands. This work was done under a grant from the Medical Research Council.