THE COMPARATIVE BIOASSAY OF SEVERAL EXTRACTS OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX IN TESTS EMPLOYING FOUR SEPARATE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES1

Abstract

Seven adrenal cortical extracts have been examined with 4 methods of bioassay, each dependent upon a different physiological response. A modified Kendall procedure employing fasted, adrenalectomized rats which had been prefed a high protein ration was developed for the assay of those factors (C11-oxygen-substituted steroids) of the adrenal cortex which influence carbohydrate metabolism. A wide variation in both the slope and the position of the regression lines relating the logarithm of the dose of cortical extract to the degree of glycogen deposition was observed in tests on 7 extracts. The Pfiffner, et al. test of renal function, the Hartman test of Na retention, and the Grollman test of growth and survival were also employed in the assay of these extracts. Corticosterone was used as the reference standard in the method for the assay of glycogenic factors and desoxycorticosterone acetate was used as the reference standard in the other 3 procedures. One extract of hog adrenals was found to be twice as active in glycogenic potency/gm. equivalent of fresh adrenal tissue as the most potent beef extract; another extract of hog adrenals was found to be virtually inactive in glycogenic potency. Parallelism between the glycogenic activity, and cortical activity detd. by other methods was not observed in comparisons made on 7 extracts.