Experimental Production of Chronic and Sub-acute Adrenal Insufficiency in Dogs and Cats

Abstract

Chronic adrenal insufficiency, clinically and pathologically comparable with Addison's disease, has not heretofore been successfully produced in experimental animals. This has been attempted by various procedures, especially excision or denervation of the adrenals, destruction by mechanical, thermal, bacterial or chemical agents and by radiation, and ligation of blood vessels.

In 1917, I performed a number of experiments, upon cats and dogs, in which I practised mass ligation, ligation of the adrenal vein and ligation of the lumbo-adrenal vein on both sides of the gland. In general, my results were similar to those of others. 1 , 2

I have observed a number of cases of Addison's disease among which were found at autopsy, pathological changes in the adrenal glands similar to those described by Kovács, 3 as “Cytotoxische Schrumpfnebenniere” and “Vaskuläre Schrumpfnebenniere”. The excellent discussion by Koväcs, together with my observations on adrenal insufficiency in laboratory animals and on Addison's disease, renewed my interest in the possibility of inducing circulatory and other changes in the adrenals which might lead to chronic insufficiency.

Physiological and clinical observations suggested the possibility that certain types of adrenal atrophy, associated with Addison's disease, may be results of the immediate effects of circulatory disturbances associated with thrombosis and anemic infarction. Accordingly, attempts were made to create comparable lesions by subtotal ligations of adrenal blood vessels. This was accomplished, sometimes in a single operation (bilaterally, or unilaterally after excision of the opposite gland), sometimes following the first operation by one or more subsequent operations, to create additional circulatory disturbances by ligating vessels of the collateral circulation (which often become enlarged after the first operation). A number of animals developed clinical manifestations of sub-acute and chronic adrenal insufficiency, in most instances comparable with Addison's disease.