Studies on the Suprarenal Cortex

Abstract

The details of the operative preparation, care, and maintenance of our colony of suprarenalectomized dogs were given in the preceding paper (1). The effect of injections of suprarenal cortical extract upon intact, as well as upon suprarenalectomized animals was described, together with its power to revive the latter from a state of acute insufficiency. It was pointed out that much of the work which has been done upon suprarenal function, as revealed by the effects of bilateral removal of the glands, is open to the serious objection that it was necessary to make the studies on animals which could hardly have recovered from the anesthesia and the effects of the necessarily severe operative procedures. In many of the observations reported in the literature moribund animals have undoubtedly been employed. The present experiments were carded out on animals maintained after operation in an active healthy condition with adequate amounts of cortical extract. The body weight had returned to the level present at the time of the first operation, and in many instances the state of nutrition had even improved. The studies were usually carded out several weeks after complete healing of the operative wounds. The sole variable factor therefore was the cessation of the daily injections of the cortical extract. No anesthesia was used in any of the experimental procedures to be recorded in this paper. We have discontinued the use of ether in the operations for removal of the glands, as we find the narcosis produced by nembutal equally satisfactory and much safer.

The Changes in the Distribution of Body Water Accompanying Increase and Decrease in Extracellular Electrolyte

“…In acute adrenal insufficiency in dogs (15,16,17), a striking loss of sodium unaccompanied by a corresponding diminution of body water has been demonstrated. From a chemical point of view the changes in acute adrenal insufficiency and those produced by loss of extracellular electrolyte in the "glucose" experiments are quite similar.…”

The Action of Cortisone and Desoxycorticosterone Acetate on Glomerular Filtration Rate and Sodium and Water Exchange in the Adrenalectomized Dog

“…2 Dog A was not fully grown at the beginning of these studies (initial weight, 15.5 Kgm. ; final weight, 18 Kgm.).…”

“…In the dog, as in man, the ability to conserve sodium is impaired (1,2), there is a fall in glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow (3)(4)(5)(6), and diuresis from water ingestion is much delayed (7,8).…”

Influence of the Adrenal Cortex on Body Water Distribution and Renal Function1

“…The suggestion that this hemoconcentration might be attributed to a decrease in plasma volume (3,4) was later confirmed by direct measurement (4)(5)(6)(7)(8), and by the circumstance that normal plasma volume was restored with adequate desoxycorticosterone therapy (6)(7)(8)(9).…”