THE EFFECTS OF PITRESSIN AND DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE IN LOW DOSAGE ON THE EXCRETION OF SODIUM, POTASSIUM, AND WATER BY THE NORMAL DOG1

Abstract

In 1938, Silvette and Britton presented evidence that there exists a physiological antagonism between the diuretic action of adrenal cortical hormone and the antidiuretic action of posterior pituitary hormone. An antagonism between the sodium and chloride conserving effects of the former and the chloruretic and natriuretic effects of the latter has also been postulated—first by Silvette and Britton (1938), and more recently by Roemmelt, Sartorius and Pitts (1949). It has been suggested that the major disturbances in electrolyte and water metabolism of the adrenalectomized animal resemble an exaggerated effect of posterior pituitary antidiuretic hormone (Roemmelt et al., 1949, Birnie et al., 1949). As desoxycorticosterone is known to correct the disturbed electrolyte balance in Addison’s disease without significantly altering the disturbed water balance (Talbott et al., 1942; Reforzo-Membrives et al., 1945), it seemed reasonable to predict that desoxycorticosterone would reduce the natriuresis but have no effect on the antidiuresis produced by the administration of pitressin to a normal animal.