Effects of ACTH, Cortisone, Desoxycorticosterone and Epinephrine on the Plasma Hypertensinogen and Renin Concentration of Dogs

Abstract

By bioassay methods, the plasma hypertensinogen of unanesthetized dogs was observed to increase after intraven. or intramusc. ACTH (35-100 mg./day), intramusc. cortisone (100-200 mg./day) and subcut. epinephrine (4-8 mg./day) but not after intramusc. desoxycorticosterone acetate or glucoside (19-25 mg./day) or in control expts. using small amts. of posterior pituitary extracts. The rise in hypertensinogen after injns. of ACTH and cortisone began some hours after the start of injns. and continued for several days after injns. were stopped. The doses of desoxycorticosterone were sufficient to produce moderate hypertension in some animals, whereas those of ACTH, cortisone and epinephrine usually produced no sustained hypertension in the presence of a marked decrease in the circulating eosinophils. In 3 adrenalectomized animals ACTH was ineffective in raising the hypertensinogen. Since it is improbable that the rise in hypertensinogen was due to a decrease in renin, an increased production of hypertensinogen is postulated in the presence of increased levels of 11-17 oxysteroids.