PATHOLOGIC CHANGES IN ADRENALECTOMIZED, SENSITIZED RATS TREATED WITH ADRENAL CORTEX EXTRACT1

Abstract

Male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were adrenalectomized and unilaterally nephrectomized at an initial weight of about 300 gms. The rats were adapted to the tube-feeding of a medium carbohydrate diet which contained 4% added NaCl by dry weight. The following doses of adrenal cortex extract (ACE) were given by subcutaneous injection for 56 days 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 cc. per rat per day. When the dose of ACE was 1.0 cc. per day or greater the blood pressure was elevated in proportion to the dose. Doses of 4 and 8 cc. of ACE per rat per day caused an increase in the amount of renal and myocardial pathology. Arteriosclerosis was not seen in any animal of the present study but has been seen in a small number of sensitized rats given large doses of ACE in other experiments.