Abstract
The rabbit adapts itself well for the determination of sugar tolerance because of the convenience with which sugar can be given in the ear vein and the ease with which the blood can be withdrawn without excitement. Bilateral suprarenalectomy can readily be performed in 2 stages with good recovery of the animal but with a variable survival period. 1 The rabbits in these experiments were all of a uniform inbred stock free of any parasitic infections. They were kept on an alfalfa-barley diet. The right gland, which was always removed at the first stage operation, lies so closely against the vena cava that its removal with its capsule intact is difficult without injury to the vessel. To overcome this difficulty, a curved clamp was applied between the gland and the vena cava including a part of the vessel. A crescent shaped portion of the vessel wall was then removed together with the gland which had previously been freed. The vena cava, was then ligated by placing the ligature behind the convex portion of the clamp. This technic assured the complete removal of the right gland and caused only a slight constriction in the vena cava. The left gland was removed 7 to 10 days after the first operation.
Of 18 rabbits only 4 survived over a 60-day period; the other 14 succumbed within 20 days, with an average survival period of 14 days. The rabbits made a quick recovery from the second stage operation and the incisions were well healed without infection in a week. There was, however, a gradual weight loss for practically all the rabbits, particularly during the second week after operation, except for those rabbits which survived longer than 20 days.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.