TOLERANCE TO POTASSIUM INTOXICATION IN THE ALBINO RAT

Abstract

In expts. employing a total of 625 [male] and [female] albino rats, it was demonstrated that a true systemic and specific tolerance to the K ion could be developed by administering, by stomach tube, progressively increasing doses of various K salts. A significant degree of tolarance persisted for at least 7 days after cessation of the adaptation procedure. No sex difference was observed. Investigation of some of the possible factors contributing to this tolerance revealed that the admn. of whole adrenal extract or D. C. A. brought about an increased resistance to the K ion, which was, however, exceedingly small in comparison with that induced by K adaptation. It was concluded that the adrenal gland did not play any specific role in the adaptation mechanism. A difference was noted in the behavior of whole adrenal extract and D.C.A. in that the former afforded immediate protection against K poisoning whereas the latter did not. The admn. of parathyroid hormone resulted in a decreased resistance to K poisoning. Attempts to develop a tolerance to NaCl failed. It was observed that the manner of death produced by either excess NaCl or water intoxication was quite different from that produced by K poisoning.