THE EFFECT OF PROPYLTHIOURACIL ON THE WEIGHT AND CONCENTRATIONS OF CHOLESTEROL AND ASCORBIC ACID OF THE ADRENAL GLAND

Abstract

The effect on the rat adrenal gland of massive doses of propylthiouracil over a three-week period has been studied. Care was taken to have any body weight changes of the treated animals paralleled by similar changes in the control, animals. Under these circumstances it was found that on a gland weight basis no atrophy of the adrenal glands occurred. There were however alterations in the adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid concentrations, there being an increase in the former and a decrease in the latter and further these changes were not dependent upon any hypometabolism induced by the thiouracil. The level of the adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid concentrations measured three hours after injection of ACTH and of epinephrine indicated that the adrenal cortex was responsive to its trophic hormone and that the pituitary–adrenal axis was intact, the degree of response being similar in both treated and control animals.