Evening star., 1939-05-13
Hormone That Checks
Body's Sugar Fue|ing'
During Fear Found
Anti-Adrenuiin
Discovery Reported
By Canadians
BY THOMAS X. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.


ST. LOUIS, May 13.-Antiadrena-
lin, a hitherto unknown hormone
secreted by the pituitary gland at
the base of the brain, was reported
here today by three Canadian scien-
lists
This substance, presumably Sc
creted into the blood stream in in
finiteSimal quantities, counterbal-
ances at least one of the most pow
erful activities of the miracle work
Ing product of the adrenal glands
that of raising the blood sugar to
high levels as an emergency fuel for
the body.
The report was presented by Drs.
j B. Collip. A. H. Neufeld and o. F.
Denstedt. biochemistS of McGill
University, Montreal to the Associa-
. ton for the Study of Internal Sc
cretions. whose annual meeting pre-
cedes that of the main body of the
American Medical Association which
starts Monday.
They obtain it from prepara-
tion of the posterior lobe OF the
pituitary after all other known ac-
tive substances have been killed"
by various chemical processes.
From primitive Brain
Adrenalin constitutes the min
ute man brigade of the system,
putting the body, threatened either
from within or without, in the best
possible shape to fight or run. The
adrenals from which it is Secreted
sometimes are described as an
abandoned brain'-the brain of
the unconscious levels of life which
exists in all vertebrates and sup
posedly preceded in evolution
well-developed nervous system. From
this ancient brain increased secre-
tions of the miracle hormones are
poured into the blood in the face
of an emotion stirring experience
1t is maintained, however. that the
hormone itself gives rise to rage
or fear rather than that it is re-
leased by them.
1t raises the blood pressure.
causes the heart to go faster and
mobilizes the blood sugar which the
body will need for extraordinary
exertlon. 1t is USED literally to
"bring the dead back to life" in some
cases where the heart stops beat
ing on the operating table.
When adrenalin and the new
found hormone are given together.
DR.. Collip said today, the blood
sugar is kept at its normal level.
He has been unable to find any
balancing effect in blood pressure
or in any of the other fields of
sdrenalin action. Given alone.
. however, it does not reduce the
blood sugar. The same extract, Dr.
Collip reported. has an anti-diuretic
effect, but this may be because
two or more hormones are con-
tanned in it.
Not i'm Pure Form.
The McGill psychologists, Dr. Col
lip said, do not claim to have
secured the anti-adrenain in any
thing like pure form. They have
demonstrated, however, that 1t diff
fers from any previously known
pituitary extract Some time ago
they announced the discovery OF an
anti-insulin hormone which has op-
posite effects from the horomone
of the pancreas used in the treat
ment of diabetes. Experiments
have shown, however, that 1t does
not offset the effects Of 1nsulln
when the two are used in COLI
Junction
While the discoverers make no
claims for it in medicine, it was
pointed out that it may find an
important place in the treatment OF
so-called adrenalin diabetes. 1t has
long been recognized that intense
emotion. keeping the blood sugar
level almost constantly higher than
the normal insulin output in the
bodv can take care Of. often results
IN severe cases of diabetes. This
phenomenon was noted among
men returning from the front Dur
ing the World War. Constant 1ear.
however. we'll kept under control
outwardly, had pushed the blood
sugar far above normal limits Tor
extended periods.
Roosters "Turn Sissy"
Making roosters turn sissy" after
they are a year old by injecting
hormone into the eggs from which
thev are born during the first feW
DAYS of incubation. long before the
structure of the embryos has begun
to take shape, was reported to the
endocrinologists by DR.. l.. V. Domm
Of the University of Chicago.
The male brids Matched from such
eggs, DR.. Domm said, appeared al
most entirely normal during the
first year of life. Following the mott
of the second summer, however, the
cocks loose their male plumage and
take on that which is typical OF
hens.
Usually they keep their male
combs and wattles, but these do not
develop so we'll as in normal birds.
Growing is often entirely absent.
The experiments have consider
able theoretical significance, DR..
Domm reported, because hitherto
nearly all cases of sex reversal
more prevalent in fowl than in any
other species of bird or mammal,
have been from female to male.
Here the opposite is found to be
possible and its mechanism deter
mined experimentally.