STUDIES ON THE RELATION BETWEEN VITAMIN A AND METABOLISM OF ADRENAL CORTEX HORMONES IN COLD-EXPOSED RATS

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Abstract
Young male rats of the Wister strain were kept at 20[degree] as a control group and at 0 to 5[degree] as test groups. They were beheaded after 1, 6, 24 hours and 21 days. Relation between the unusual metabolism of adrenal cortex hormones affected by low temperature and the effects of vitamin A supplement was studied. (1) The ascorbic acid content in the adrenals increased after one hour exposure to cold, showing the maximum after six hours, and fell to a normal level gradually thereafter. It showed a greater decrease in the case of a vitamin A-deficient dose and rose again with vitamin A supplement. (2) On the metabolism of adrenal cortex hormones, the experimental defects of Rabinovici''s report were pointed out and the influence of stress was examined quantitatively, including endocrine accumulation in the adrenals and urinary excretion. (3) The volumes of the urine were increased by cold, and diuretic action was found to be affected by vitamin A. (4) As to the influence of cold-stress, the remarkable changes in the contents of corticosteroids and ascorbic acid in the adrenals occurred during 1 to 24 hours. Thereafter, the test animals seemed to become accustomed to the environmental changes.