Epinephrine Protection Against Fatal Hyperkalemia in Adrenalectomized Rats

Abstract

Summary

A hyperkalemia and cardiac standstill resulting in 100%percnt; mortality was induced within 20 minutes after the administration of 2 ml of a 50%percnt; glucose solution into the stomachs of adrenalectomized rats. Pretreatment with epinephrine 60 minutes before the administration of the glucose solution protected the adrenalectomized rats. Pretreat-ment with lipo-adrenal extract 120 minutes before giving the glucose solution did not protect the adrenalectomized rats. The admission of the glucose solution to demedullated rats with functional adrenal cortices resulted in a 50%percnt; mortality. The difference in mortality of the adrenalectomized and demedullated rats was ascribed to the initial relatively “low” plasma potassium concentration of the latter group. Epinephrine pretreatment protected the demedullated group too. These data are discussed as indicating that epinephrine protected the experimental groups of rats by inducing a lower than “normal” plasma potassium concentration and “blocking” a change to supranormal levels after the glucose per os.