INCREASED SALT APPETITE IN ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS

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Abstract
The survival rate of 13 animals adrenalectomized and put on a saltless diet was zero and the average length of life after adrenalectomy was 11 days. The survival rate of 26 animals adrenalectomized and continued on the standard McCollum diet (approx. 0.145 gm. of salt per day) was 39% and the av. duration of life of the animals that died was 17 days. 13 rats kept on the standard diet and given the choice of tap water or 1% salt solution ingested a larger quantity of salt solution after adrenalectomy and their survival rate was increased to 69%. 5 rats kept on a saltless diet but given the choice of a 3% salt solution or tap water ingested 6 times as much salt solution after adrenalectomy and showed a survival rate of 80%. It was thus determined that the salt appetite is greatly increased by adrenalectomy and by virtue of this appetite the survival rate is also greatly increased. The salt needs of the 19 normal rats determined by the choice method on the 3% salt solution was shown to be approximately the same as the amount calculated empirically by McCollum; 0.577 gm. per kgm. body weight per day as compared to 0.659 gm. for the McCollum diet.

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