Corticosterone secretion in rats as a function of ACTH input and adrenal blood flow

¹ Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas

The rate of secretion of corticosterone from the left adrenal of rats receiving a constant input of ACTH was determined for different flows of blood through the adrenal during the 2- to 3-hr interval following hypophysectomy. Two hours after hypophysectomy the secretion of corticosterone was low in all groups regardless of flow. An input of 0.26 mU ACTH/min caused a steady increase in secretion for 30–40 min before a steady-state rate was attained. The average steady-state rate of secretion was 1.1, 2.4, 3.5, 6.2, 7.2, 6.2, and 6.2 µg/5 min for flows of 0.005, 0.012, 0.023, 0.034, 0.039, 0.051, and 0.058 ml/min, respectively. Under the conditions of these experiments where the input of ACTH was 0.26 mU/min the secretion of corticosterone increased significantly with time of input of ACTH and with flow of blood through the adrenal.

Key Words: hypophysectomized rats

Submitted on February 2, 1965

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