Effect of Hypophysectomy on Electrolyte and Water Metabolism in the Dog.

Abstract

Electrolyte and water metabolism was studied in 15 hypophysectomi2ed dogs. To date postmortem studies have been completed in 5. All 5 were found to be completely hypophysectomized, i.e. they contained neither adenohypophyseal cells (pars distalis, pars tuberalis and pars intermedia) nor cells of the pars nervosa. The adre''nal glands of all 5 dogs were markedly reduced in wt. and showed atrophic changes of all the cortical layers, including the zona glomerulosa. These hypophysectomized dogs that manifested severely disturbed carbohydrate and protein metabolism and considerable reduction in renal functions (glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow and tubular transfer maxima) retained the capacity to conserve Na and excrete K in a manner comparable to the normal dog. However, they exhibited a pronounced impairment of the ability to excrete a water load.