THE EFFECT OF ADRENALECTOMY ON THE URINARY EXCRETION OF HISTAMINE IN THE RAT

Abstract

The urinary excretion of histamine was followed in female rats after adrenalectomy or sham operation. The urinary histamine in adrenalectomized rats kept on saline showed a progressive increase from the 4th postoperative day. In rats kept on water the urinary histamine was unchanged until the 8th day when an increase took place. At 7 to 16 days after adrenalectomy, the high urinary histamine level in rats kept on saline could be lowered by changing over to water as drinking fluid. The substitution of saline instead of water had the opposite effect on the urinary histamine excretion. Cortexone did not prevent the increase in urinary excretion of histamine in adrenalectomized rats kept on saline. Cortisone and cortisol caused an immediate increase in urinary histamine levels in adrenalectomized rats on saline with a subsequent slow reduction. Sham operation induced a small temporary increase in the urinary histamine.