BLOOD-CELLULAR CHANGES IN ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY AND THE EFFECTS OF CORTICO-ADRENAL EXTRACT

Abstract

Experiments on about 50 animals, including cats, rats and rabbits, show that adrenalectomy produces marked changes in the blood count. As symptoms of adrenal insufficiency develop, the erythrocytes increase, commonly by 50-100% (probably owing to fluid loss from the blood), and the total leucocyte and neutro-phil counts meanwhile decrease and lymphocytes increase. The administration of cortico-adrenal extract completely restored the normal cell values and improved the general condition of the animal. Control experiments with adrenalin, glucose and saline solutions were negative, with the exception of the action of adrenalin on the rat. There were no noteworthy leucocytic changes in splenectomized controls. Splenecto-adrenalectomized animals, however, showed responses after operation and after extract treatment similar to those noted above.