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A prospective study was performed on an autopsy material consisting of 739 consecutive cases over 20 years of age (391 females, 348 males) during a period of six months. The material included about 70% of the deaths in the city of Malmö (approximately 250,000 inhabitants). The adrenals were specially observed at autopsy for adenomas and hospital records were searched for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. In the total material the frequency of adrenocortical adenomas was 8.7%, which was considerably higher than previously reported figures. In patients with essential hypertension the adenoma frequency was 12.4% as against 7.9% in normotensives. This difference was not statistically significant. The adenoma frequency in men with secondary hypertension was remarkably high but the significance is not clear. In patients with hypertension the frequency of diabetes was 17.6% as compared to 9.0% in normotensives. This difference was statistically probably significant. In patients with diabetes the frequency of adrenocortical adenomas was 16.5%, in non‐diabetics 7.7%. The difference was probably significant.

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Noradrenaline and adrenaline were determined in blood samples from the brachial vein, the brachial artery, the left renal vein and the femoral vein in 6 healthy males (aged 23-35 y). In 3 of the subjects catecholamines were determined also in blood from the coronary sinus. All samples were taken simultaneously in supine postion after 30 min of rest and then in connection with exercise in supine position using a bicycle ergometer, firstly with a work load of 50 W for 9 min and secondly with a work load of 150 W for the same period of time. Under resting conditions the catecholamine levels were about the same at all locations, the mean for noradrenaline being 1.59 nmol/1 with a range of 1.30-2.11 nmol/1 and for adrenaline 0.46 nmol/1 and 0.23-0.65 nmol/1, respectively. At 50 W the noradrenaline concentration increased significantly in the brachial artery, the left renal vein and the femoral vein, whereas adrenaline increased significantly only in the femoral vein. At 150 W the noradrenaline content increased markedly in all samples, especially in the left renal vein (mean increase 13.02 nmol/1) and the coronary sinus (mean increase 13.06 nmol/1). Adrenaline concentration increased significantly in the brachial artery and the femoral vein. At 150 W the mean net output of noradrenaline as estimated from the calculated flows and actual AV-differences amounted to 2.25 nmol/min from the heart and to 0.36 nmol/min from the kidney.

Following the observation ( 1 ) that administration of 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG) to the eviscerated-nephrectmized rabbit decreases the amount of glucose required to maintain a constant blood sugar level, data have been presented to support the hypothesis that 2-DG acts as a metabolic blocking agent inhibiting glucose utilization. Thus, in spite of the increased blood glucose level following 2-DG in the rat(2), dog(3) and man (4), a condition results which has been termed "cellular hypoglycemia" or cellular glucopenia (2). Since the blood sugar level can affect secretion of adrenal medullary hormones we have tested the effect of 2-DG on secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline in the intact rat. When positive results were found, additional experiments were carried out in rats with denervated adrenal glands.Material and methods. 2-DG was obtained from the Aldrich Chemical Co., Milwaukee, Wis., through the courtesy of the Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center, NIH, Bethesda. In all instances 2-DG was administered subcutaneously ( s.c.) in water solution (50 mgiml). In control animals a corresponding quantity of distilled water was injected. Regular insulin (Insulin Vitrum) was injected undiluted S.C. B l d glucose concentrations were determined colorimetrically using condensation with 0-toluidine( 5 ) ; in this procedure 2-DG gives only one-tenth of the color produced by equal quantities of glucose within the range of 50-1000 mg %. Tail vein blood was used.Adrenaline and noradrenaline production were judged by urinary excretion of free catechol amines, estimated fluorimetrically (6). To obtain sufficient amounts, urine was collected over 8-12 hours from groups of 2-4 ~ *This work was supported by grants from Swedish Medical Research Council, Magn. Bergwall Foundation and The AhlCn Foundation. rats in metabolic cages. At the end of each experiment the catecholamine content of the adrenals was estimated by the same procedure after extraction with 3 % trichloracetic acid but without absorption on alumina.The adrenal glands were denervated either by spinal cord transsection at the level of 0:7, or by division of the splanchnic nerves immediately below the diaphragm via the abdominal approach. Intraperitoneal barbi turate anaesthesia of short duration (Citodon-Na, Leo) was used. The rats were killed by decapitation.Inbred male ratsj 175-275 g , maintained on a diet of known composition, were used. During the acute experiment no food was given, but free access to water was allowed.Results. It was clearly shown that 2-DG, when administered in sufficiently high doses to maintain an elevated blood sugar level for a longer period of time, produces a marked increase in adrenaline secretion. Thus, when 2-DG was given in a dose of 50 mg per 100 g body weight twice over an 11 hour period, urinary adrenaline increased about 40 times (Table I) ; urinary noradrenaline excretion was doubled. Secretion of adrenal medullary hormones apparently was intense enough to make resynthesis lag behind, as revealed by pronounced lowering o...

The optimal conditions for the histochemical demonstration of noradrenaline in the adrenal medulla by selective pigment formation at potassium iodate oxidation have been investigated. In addition the classical chromaffine reaction has been modified for the simultaneous demonstration of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

1 The effect of 8 weeks treatment with the calcium antagonist felodipine-a new longacting dihydropyridine derivative-in a dose of 10 mg twice daily was studied in 10 male patients with essential hypertension, WHO grade I-II, aged 25-62 years. 2 Diastolic blood pressure was reduced in supine and upright position. Systolic blood pressure was reduced only in the upright position. Heart rate was unchanged in the supine and decreased in the upright position. 3 During dynamic exercise blood pressure was reduced. The maximal working capacity decreased, whereas the maximal heart rate attained was unchanged. 4 Twenty-four hour urinary noradrenaline excretion, plasma renin activity and 24 h urinary aldosterone excretion were increased. Plasma angiotensin II and 24 h urinary adrenaline excretion were unchanged. 5 In conclusion, felodipine is an effective long-acting blood pressure lowering drug with minor side effects. After 8 weeks on felodipine treatment heart rate was not increased, although the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-aldosterone system seemed enhanced.