AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF THE DEMEDULLATED ADRENAL GLAND TO STRESS

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Abstract
The role of the pituitary and adrenal glands in the “alarm reaction” of Selye (1946) has been extensively investigated in recent years. However, the mechanism by which the corticotrophic activity of the pituitary is stimulated by various damaging agents is unknown. It was pointed out by Long (1946) that the release of epinephrine was one activity associated with all of the various types of stress, and he advanced the hypothesis that epinephrine might be an essential agent in the process leading to the liberation of ACTH. Vogt (1944) was the first to present evidence that epinephrine could elicit an increased activity of the adrenal cortex. By assaying the corticoid activity of the adrenal venous blood of the dog she was able to demonstrate an increased production of cortical hormones following the administration of epinephrine. These findings were confirmed by Long and Fry (1945) who demonstrated that physiological doses of epinephrine produced a decrease in the cholesterol and ascorbic acid