CHEMICAL STUDY OF TISSUE CHANGES IN ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY AND TRAUMATIC SHOCK1

Abstract

Tissue analyses for K and P were made on rats and dogs in adrenal insufficiency and shock, and on normal controls. Rats were shocked by the revolving drum technique of Noble and Collip and dogs by trauma to the thigh muscles. Increases in K were found in muscle, liver and small intestine of both rats and dogs in adrenal insufficiency ; a K increase was also found in the pancreas of dogs. In shocked rats, marked losses of K and P occurred in liver and small intestine. In shocked dogs, marked increases in both K and P were found in muscle, liver, intestine, pancreas and heart. In both rats and dogs, blood analyses showed increases in serum K. The decrease of K in the liver and intestine of shocked rats was attributed to an indirect effect of the trauma transmitted through the sympathetic nervous system. The increase of the K in the blood serum of the severery shocked rats was ascribed to the visceral losses of this element and to the occurrence of hemolysis. In shocked dogs the increase in K and P found in the tissues and the increase of K in the blood serum were attributed to liberation of these elements from the traumatized muscle. The increased blood K evidently cannot be the sole factor in shock but in association with a reduced blood vol. it may have a deleterious effect.