FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ADRENAL CORTEX AND POSTERIOR PITUITARY1,2

Abstract

It has been shown that the hormones of the adrenal cortex and posterior pituitary have antagonistic actions on sodium and water excretion in suitably devised experimental conditions (Silvette and Britton, 1938a, 1938b, 1938c; Ingram and Winter, 1938; Winter et al., 1938, 1939; Corey et al., 1939; Silvette, 1940a, 1940b; Britton and Corey 1941; Corey et al., 1941; Mulinos et al., 1941; Anderson and Murlin, 1942; Britton and Kline, 1942; MacGavack et al., 1942; Winter and Ingram, 1943; Little et al., 1947; Roemmelt et al., 1949; Sartorius and Roberts, 1949; Gaunt et al., 1949; Lloyd and Lobotsky, 1950). On the other hand, hormones from both glands enhance potassium excretion (Sartorius and Roberts, 1949). The physiological significance of such facts is far from clear. One confusing factor is the inconstancy and variation of actions of the posterior pituitary hormones on electrolyte excretion and uncertainty concerning whether the same or different pituitary hormones