No abstract
THEFUNCTION of the pineal gland is not established; evidence bearing on this matter has been reviewed in another publication from this laboratory.1 The possibility that the pineal gland might influence metabolism in man has not been investigated extensively in the past, and it was therefore decided to make such a study here. Some negative findings were encountered; a constant positive finding was that the blood glutathione level changed during a course of injections of some pineal extracts. This was considered important since earlier work 2 had shown that the blood glutathione level is low in many patients with manic-depressive, involutional, or schizophrenic psychoses. A few observations on glucose tolerance were also made, in view of the belief currently held by some workers that glutathione influences carbohydrate metabolism. MATERIAL AND METHODSNine experiments were performed with four pineal extracts, designated in this laboratory as A, RPA-4, TRPA-4, and TSD-D; 40 experiments using 10 other types of extracts will not be discussed here, since their administration caused less significant changes or no change at all. Details of the preparation of these extracts will be presented in another paper. The patients given these extracts had manic-depressive (Cases F, G, H, I), involutional (Case E), or schizo¬ phrenic (Cases A, B, C, D) psychoses. They ranged in age from 25 to 68 years; three were women.The patients were given intramuscular injections every day or every other day; the volume injected was between 2.5 and 10 cc. each time. No fever, change in pulse rate or blood pressure, rise in blood leucocyte count or sedimentation rate, or fall in blood eosinophile count occurred during the course of the injections here reported.The methods of study used were those previously described for blood glutathione,2 blood sugar,3 and urinary 17-ketosteroids.4 Measurements of blood glutathione level were made two or three times a week; the number of measurements made in each patient ranged from 2 to 25 in the control period and from 4 to 13 during the administration of the extracts.
S experiments of a century ago stimulated interest in the relation between functions of the brain and glucose metabolism. Some authors, including Jelliffe,1 have since reported metabolic abnormalities in multiple sclerosis; the reported changes consisted in a low fasting serum inorganic phosphorus 3 and a high fasting serum cholesterol.2 More recent studies in patients with multiple sclerosis revealed elevation of the fasting blood pyruvic acid concentrations and an excessive accumulation of this substance following the ingestion of glucose; decreased glucose tolerance and abnormally great and prolonged fall in serum inorganic phosphate were also observed.4 These workers confirmed earlier reports of a low fasting serum inorganic phosphorus and a high fasting serum cholesterol.The experiments reported here were designed to elucidate further the nature of metabolic defect already reported to occur in multiple sclerosis. Our studies did not confirm the finding of elevated fasting pyruvic acid concentrations reported by other investigators; however, decreased glucose tolerance was observed, and additional abnormalities in lactic and citric acid metabolism were found. MATERIALS AND METHODSSix patients with active multiple sclerosis, ranging in age from 38 to 56, were studied; four of the subjects were men (Appendix). All were free of malnutrition, fever, increased intracranial pressure, and intercurrent disease. All were cooperative during the test. All had a 350 gm. carbohydrate intake daily for three to five days prior to the test. Twenty normal subjects of comparable age served as controls. One subject with a past history of multiple sclerosis but with no present detectable signs or symptoms of the disease was also studied (Case 8).Blood samples were taken after a 12to 13-hour fast, and again 1, 2, and 3 hours after the ingestion of 100 gm. of glucose dissolved in 200 cc. of distilled water. Venous stasis and controllable muscular activity were avoided. No anticoagulants were used except for blood glu¬ cose and plasma citrate ; the red cells were lysed and the proteins precipitated immediately upon collection; the filtrates were kept iced. Determinations were made within four hours after Postdoctorate
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