Abstract
Summary
Adrenalectomized-nephrectomized rats fed a chow diet before operation have a high mortality rate. If the animals are prepared preoperatively for 3 days on a lowpotassium diet, the adrenalectomized animals survive longer than rats with intact adrenals. The rate of production of urea is normal immediately after adrenalectomy, and fails to accelerate in the manner characteristic of rats which intact adrenals subjected to starvation and uremia. The blood urea nitrogen level at death is lower in adrenalectomized than in control animals. Administration of adrenal ccrtical extract to adrenalectomized-nephrectomized rats tends to restore the survival time and terminal blood urea nitrogen level to control values.
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