EFFECT OF BILATERAL ADRENALECTOMY ON ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN THE RAT IN RELATION TO REGRESSIVE CHANGES IN THE NEPHRON

Abstract
After bilateral adrenalectomy, nephrons in the kidney show regressive changes consisting of disappearance of the brush borders in the proximal convoluted tubules, with loss of alkaline phosphatase and of periodic acid-Schiff''s-reagent-positive substances. The cortical nephrons react more rapidly and more intensively than the nephrons situated lower in the subcortical region. A decrease in volume of the cells of the proximal convoluted tubules, disintegration of the chondriome and the appearance of "lipochondria" and vacuoles are also observed. Administration of desocycorticosterone after adrenalectomy reduces the mortality among the test animals but has no influence on restoration of regressive nephrons.