SENSITIVITY TO INSULIN DURING ADRENOCORTICAL RESPONSE TO COLD STRESS IN RATS1

Abstract

Adult rats were exposed to cold stress for 1 day, 6, or 9 days continuously. Blood sugar change due to insulin was measured before and after such exposure. Response of adrenal glands of normal and stressed rats was detd. by measurement of adrenal cholesterol, ascorbic acid and the ratio of total adrenal wt. to body wt. Cold stress for 1 day, although it produced no significant change in blood sugar or insulin sensitivity, did cause marked depletion of adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid content. However, in the group exposed for 6 days there was hyperglycemia with hyper-sensitivity to insulin while the adrenal showed signs of higher activity. The rats exposed for 9 days still had hyperglycemia and hypersensitivity to insulin although the adrenal activity returned near to normal levels. Results suggested that there is no direct correlation between corticoadrenal activity and sensitivity to insulin.