Direct Effects of Adrenal Cortical Steroids on the Electrolyte Content of Rabbit Leucocytes

¹ From the Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada

Viable rabbit leucocytes have been obtained in quantities sufficient to permit direct chemical analyses of intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations. Treatment in vitro either with cortisone (10 or 20 mg/l.) or with desoxycorticosterone glycoside (10–80 mg/l.) led to a fall in intracellular potassium concentration and a reciprocal rise in intracellular sodium. There was an associated rise in intracellular water. After cortisone, the absolute change in sodium concentration slightly exceeded the reciprocal change in potassium; after desoxycorticosterone glycoside, the reverse was true.