Influence of Adrenalectomy on Urinary Excretion of 5-Hydroxyindole Acptic Acid in the Rat

Abstract

The urinary excretion of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), which is a major metabolite of serotonin, was found to increase progressively after adrenalectomy in male albino rats. The average 24 hour output was about 70 per cent higher on the 4th and 5th day after adrenalectomy than during 4 days before the operation. In control animals there was no notable change in excretion of 5-HIAA. No statistically significant differences could be recorded between animals given sodium chloride postoperatively and those given water.