WORK PERFORMANCE OF ADRENALLY INSUFFICIENT RATS GIVEN ADRENAL CORTEX EXTRACT BY CONTINUOUS INTRAVENOUS INJECTION

Abstract

A procedure is described for the non-surgical inactivation of the adrenal glands of the rat by palpation of the glands through the body wall and enucleation by gentle pressure. Adrenalectomized and adrenal enucleated rats were anesthetized with barbiturates and subjected to faradic stimulation of both hind legs at a frequency of 5 times per sec. Adrenal cortex extract (ACE) was given by constant intraven. injn. during a period of 24 hrs. Doses of 2 and 4 cc. of ACE had little effect upon work; 8, 12, and 16 cc. had very striking effects and 20 cc. restored the performance of bilaterally adrenalectomized and of bilaterally adrenal enucleated rats to approx. the levels of normal and sham-operated animals. Unilateral adrenalectomy and unilateral enucleation each caused a marked reduction in total work. There was a tendency for the adrenal enucleated rats to perform slightly more work than the adrenalectomized rats but the relative responses of the 2 series to adrenal inactivation and to therapy were almost identical.