A thyroid-adrenal interrelationship

Abstract

Evidence has accumulated during the last few years that the cortical portion of the suprarenal complex of mammals is essential for life. This has been clearly demonstrated by the work of Houssay and Lewis, 1 Wislocki and Crowe, 2 and the present writer. 3 In a series of experiments performed upon forty cats, the writer was able to show clearly the great importance of cortical tissue for the maintenance of life. The following points were brought out: (1) Cats, from which the adrenals have been removed (in two stages 7 days apart), die within three days. (2) Unilaterally operated animals remain perfectly normal. (3) Total extirpation of one adrenal, and removal of the medullary portion of the other (after 7 days), leaving only the cortex, does not induce symptoms, the animals remain normal. (4) Removal of the remaining cortical tissue after an interval of 21 days to three months, causes death within three days. (5) Histological examination of the removed cortex showed no medullary tissue to be present in the majority of cases. (6) Transplantation of pieces of the cortex into animals with both adrenals removed, prolonged the life of the animals. During the course of the experiments mentioned, an interesting functional interrelationship between the suprarenal cortex and the thyroid gland was established. It was observed that thyroidectomized cats survived removal of the suprarenal glands much longer than animals with intact thyroid apparatus. In experiments on twenty animals this point was thoroughly investigated.

The thyroid glands and the left adrenal were removed at one operation, ten days later the right adrenal was extirpated. Following thyroid removal the parathyroids were dissected free from their investing membranes in a medium of sterile Ringer's solution and blood serum 4 and transplanted into the neck muscles, to prevent tetany.