THE EFFECT OF VARYING LEVELS OF THYROIDAL STIMULATION ON THE ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX

Abstract

There is considerable evidence suggesting an interrelationship between the thyroid gland and the adrenal cortex. Hoskins (1910), Herring (1917), Cohen (1935), Schmidt and Schmidt (1938), Deane and Greep (1947), and others have reported that following the administration of thyroidal substances to animals, the adrenals enlarge, the hypertrophy being restricted to the cortex. Leblond and Hoff (1944) noted a decrease in the size of the adrenals in rats receiving goitrogenic sulfa drugs or thiouracil. This was confirmed by Baumann and Marine (1945) when they noted involution of the adrenals to half their former size in rats fed thiouracil for four months. From these reports it seems apparent that the functional activity of the adrenal cortex is interrelated in some manner with the thyroid secretion level. Very little information has been reported however, that specifically relates the adrenal cortical secretion to the thyroid status.