Studies on the Effect of Cancer on the Pituitary-Adrenocortical System Part I. The Effect of Cancer on the Adrenal Cortex

The author made histochemical studies using Dempsey's method on the adrenal cortex of mice inoculated with cancerous materials. The results of this experiment were as follows: 1. Adrenal glands of adult male mice with transplanted mammary cancer were hypertrophic, and acetone-soluble, sudanophilic droplets which were also Schiff-positive, Schultze-positive, autofluorescent and birefringent, decreased markedly in number in zona fasciculata et glomerulosa. 2. Same droplets from zona fasciculata in adult male mice treated with cancer tissue extract or urine from cancer patients showed marked decrease in amount. 3. Cancer tissue extracts increased the weight of adrenal glands, and decreased that of the thymus in mice. 4. The products from cancer tissues are regarded to stimulate pituitary-adrenocortical function.