EFFECT OF THE DIETARY PROTEIN CONCENTRATION UPON THE SECRETION OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIN

Abstract

Expts. on the rat indicate that the adrenal-cortical stimulation elicited by stress (e.g., cold) or by unilateral adrenalectomy is greater in animals kept on high (30%) than in those receiving low (15%) protein diets. Such a difference in dietary protein concn. does not exert any significant effect upon the adrenal under basic conditions in normal animals, nor does it demonstrably affect the adrenal response of hypophysectomized rats to exogenous cortico-trophin. Diets rich in protein do not sensitize the adrenal corticotrophin, nor do they normally increase corticotrophin secretion by the pltuitary. Under certain conditions, however, when adrenal growth is stimulated beyond normal, high-protein diets further augment corticotrophic response, either by increasing corticotrophin production or by eliciting the elaboration of some corticotrophin-synergizing hypo-physeal principle.