THE RATE OF DISCHARGE OF ADRENOCORTICOTROPHIC HORMONE AS DETERMINED BY TIMED HYPOPHYSECTOMY IN THE RAT

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Abstract
The pattern of secretion of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) has been studied by opening the pituitary fossa of rats 36 hours before unilateral adrenalectomy. At selected intervals afterwards, the pituitary gland was removed and the effect on the fall in the ascorbic acid content of the remaining adrenal gland was determined. If was found that ACTH discharge is initiated with great rapidity and that the secretory pattern is a biphasic one. The first phase continues for about 5 minutes and then declines. It is succeeded by a second period of secretion that is much more prolonged. It is suggested that these results support the view that both a neural or neural-humoral and a purely humoral mechanism participate in the regulation of ACTH secretion.