EFFECTS OF RENIN AND THYROXINE IN RATS TREATED WITH CORTICOSTEROIDS AND IN RATS WITH REGENERATING ADRENALS1

ADMINISTRATION of renin to rats pretreated with salt and desoxy-corticosterone (DCA), cortisone or 17-hydroxycorticosterone (cortisol) (1, 2, 3) elicits an eclampsia-like state associated with widespread acute destructive vascular lesions. This condition is attributable, in part, to the enhanced pressor effect of renin associated with the presence of excess adrenosteroids (4). Recently, a somewhat similar syndrome has been described in rats given thyroxin together with salt and DCA plus cortisone (5). In this situation the pressor and nephrosclerotic actions of thyroxine (6) may be additive to those of the steroids or it may act by specific sensitization of pressor mechanisms. The present experiments constitute a comparative study of the effects of thyroxine and renin in animals treated with adrenosteroids and also in animals with regenerating adrenals; the latter condition is stimulated by thyroxine (7) and is believed to be associated with hyperfunction or imbalance in steroid secretions (8).