Abstract
Summary
ACTH (100 U/mg) caused a 64% elevation of citrate and a 26% drop of serum calcium levels at 2 hours after administration of the hormone, intramuscularly, in fasting rabbits. One out of 12 rabbits died in convulsions. Chlordiazepoxide (2 mg/kilo) administered intramuscularly caused a 33% depression of serum citrate levels at 3 hours. This substance had no significant effect on serum calcium levels. ACTH administered one hour after chlordiazepoxide injection caused a greater elevation of citrate levels (110%) which persisted longer than with ACTH alone. In these experiments 7 out of 12 rabbits died in convulsions within 4 hours after ACTH administration. Calcium depression due to the ACTH in this experiment was the same as without the chlordiazepoxide but persisted for a longer period. Diphenylhy-dantoin (20 mg/kilo) did not cause marked changes in the serum citrate or calcium levels. ACTH administered intramuscularly after diphenylhydantoin injection intravenously depressed calcium levels and elevated citrate levels to the same degree as in the absence of the diphenylhydantoin. Diphenylhydantoin had no significant effect on the number of rabbits which survived the experiment.
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