DIFFERENCES AMONG ADRENAL STEROIDS WITH RESPECT TO THEIR EFFICACY IN PROTECTING THE ADRENALECTOMIZED DOG AGAINST CIRCULATORY FAILURE

Abstract

The authors tested the effectiveness of the adrenal steroids, corticosterone, and Kendall''s compound E (17-hydroxy-ll-dehydrocorticos-terone) in protecting the adrenalectomized dog against circulatory failure following each of 4 stress procedures, emphasizing particularly those procedures yielding a circulatory collapse unresponsive to desoxycorticosterone acetate. Both corticosterone and compound E, unlike desoxycorticosterone, adequately protected the circulation after intestinal stripping and a single stage bilateral adrenalec-tomy. The action of corticosterone was definitely inferior to that of compound E (A 10 mg. dose of the latter is probably minimal). Compound E protected the circulation after trauma to muscle masses of the hind limb and after hemorrhage, as did desoxycorticosterone. Its action after hemorrhage was qualitatively different and in general inferior to that of desoxycorticosterone. This latter steroid, however, lost all its effective action when employed on an animal which was maintained on this steroid instead of whole adrenal cortical extract during the pre-exptl. period. A possible explanation for these results is advanced.