THE INFLUENCE OF AGE AND SEX ON THE LIFE SPAN OF ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS

Abstract

For many years it was thought that bilateral adrenalectomy in the rat was fatal only in a fraction of cases, but during the last 15 to 20 years it has been shown that the rat is no exception to the rule that the removal of the adrenal glands is followed by symptoms of adrenal insufficiency and death [Britton, 1930; Firor & Grollman, 1933; Swingle & Remington, 1944]. The percentage of animals which survive bilateral adrenalectomy and the length of the survival period of those which die show considerable variations. Gillman & Golberg [1942] have listed the data of some fifteen different investigators on the duration of the life span of rats and the percentage of indefinite survivals following adrenalectomy. While most of the average life spans range approximately from 5 to 9 days, the highest average listed is 17·8 days. The causes for such variations have been partly elucidated. The