THE EFFECT OF ADRENALECTOMY ON FAT ABSORPTION

Abstract

The rate of absorption of hydrogenated cottonseed oil was lowered from an avg. of 36.3 mg. per 100 sq. cm. per hr. in 17 normal rats to a mean of 27.6 mg. in 31 adrenalectomized rats receiving Rubin-Krick soln.; when only water was given to the adrenalectomized rats, the rate was lowered to 22.7 mg. (6 rats) while the adm. of cortin to such animals resulted in a normal absorption (39.7 mg. with 20 rats). Sham operation alone did not lower fat absorption (34.9 mg. in 16 tests). After adrenalectomy the amt. of free fatty acid in the gut contents was greatly increased but this divergence from the normal was prevented by the adm. of cortin. There was no lowering in lipolysis caused by adrenalectomy. The lowered absorption rate is to be ascribed rather to a decrease in absorption of the fatty acids.