A Discussion of the Mechanism of Action of Adrenal Cortical Hormones on Carbohydrate and Protein Metabolism1,2

THE INTENSIVE WORK of the last few years has resulted in the accumulation of a large body of factual knowledge concerning not only the active principles of the adrenal cortex but also the effects produced by them, both in adrenalectomizjed and normal animals, on various phases of metabolism. These, coupled with the numer ous observations on untreated adrenalectomiz,ed animals, would, it might be supposed, have served as a basis for a rather complete understanding of the mechanism of action of this endocrine gland. This, as all students of the subject are aware, is far from the case. Many features of the behavior of adrenalectomized animals as well as the effect of adrenal hormones in normal animals would appear to necessitate the acceptance of the view that the adrenal gland participates in the control of the inorganic and organic metabolism by the operation of two different types of hormones.