A Blood-Chemical Test for Adrenal Cortex Extracts.

Abstract

The clinical picture of adrenal insufficiency in animals has been described by many authors. Certain of the blood changes have also been described, but for the most part these have been isolated or terminal findings. Our experiments have extended the chemical studies to day by day observations. We find that a fall in CO₂ capacity, a non-protein nitrogen rise, a chloride fall and a fall in blood sugar occur in experimental adrenal insufficiency. The blood-chemical picture has been correlated with observed symptoms of loss of appetite, asthenia, dehydration, and decreased peripheral circulation.

Injection of our adrenin-free extract of the adrenal cortex, 1 brings about a reversal of the shift in adrenal insufficiency. The CO₂ capacity and blood chlorides rise to normal, the non-protein nitrogen fails to rise, and the blood sugar increases. There is in adrenalectomized cats an immediate clinical improvement and their appetite for solid food returns. A few animals injected while in a comatose state, have soon after gotten up and walked around.

Even normal animals react to doses of this cortex extract and we use them to test its potency. The injection of 0.5 cc./kg. body weight of an extract in which 1 cc. = 0.5 gm. of fresh whole beef adrenal, will produce a rise in carbon-dioxide capacity and in blood sugar. A fall occurs in the non-protein nitrogen, if it is high, and a rise, if it is normal. The same shift is found in the blood chlorides. Similar results have been obtained using cats, dogs and rabbits.

The maximal chemical changes are not immediate. The blood sugar reaches its high point in 1 to 5 hours; the chlorides are changed within an hour or so; the rise in carbon-dioxide capacity, which is the most significant change, occurs in about 5 hours, but takes 24 to 48 hours to reach its peak.