Effect of Hypophysectomy on the Lowering of Organ Catalase by a Transplanted Tumor

Summary

Tumors cause a marked decrease in the concentration of catalase in the liver and kidney of the rat. An investigation was made to determine whether the pituitary gland was required for the tumor effect. A transplantable, nonfunctional thyroid tumor caused a depression in the catalase concentrations in both the liver and kidney of hypophysectomized as well as intact Fischer rats. To determine what effect decreased food intake of the tumor-bearing animal had on the catalase level, intact and hypophysectomized animals were pair-fed to their respective tumor-bearing mates. Even under these conditions there was a lower liver and kidney catalase activity in the tumor-bearing host than in the pair-fed controls. Under our experimental conditions, the pituitary gland was not a significant factor in the etiology of the depression of catalase activity in the liver and kidney of the tumor-bearing host.