ADRENAL CHANGES PRODUCED IN RATS BY INFECTION WITHB. TULARENSE AND B. COLI1

Abstract

Rats infected with B. tularense [Pasteurella tularensis] showed an increase in adrenal size and a profound fall in adrenal cholesterol content. The change in adrenal ascorbic acid content was highly variable, indicating the un-suitability of this detn. as an indication of the functional state of the adrenal cortex in prolonged infections. Infected rats showed a significant rise in RQ as compared with normals. Dosages of adrenal cortical hormone prepns. many times larger than those required for maintenance of adrenalectomized animals failed to prevent the adrenal cholesterol depletion or significantly prolonged the survival time of infected animals, although the treated animals were better able to maintain body temp. and seemed more active than the controls. Rats receiving large doses of living Escherichia coli intraven. had an adrenal cortical response similar to that produced by a single injn. of pituitary adrenotrophic hormone as measured by adrenal size, ascorbic acid and cholesterol content. The ascorbic acid levels correlated with the other measurements of adrenal cortical function in this short-term expt. The differences in the effects of the 2 organisms on the adrenals are believed to be primarily differences in the duration of the adrenal stimulation they produced.