The Effect of Gold Exposure on the Catecholamine Excretion of Rats Treated with Decaborane

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Abstract
Rats treated with decaborane exhibited a marked reduction in the noradrenaline (NA) content of heart, liver, and spleen but no significant fall in adrenal catecholamines. Decaborane‐treated animals excreted less NA but more adrenaline (A) than control animals. When exposed to 3° C, control animals survived and showed increased NA excretion in contrast to decaborane‐treated rats, which, however, responded with increased excretion of A until death after 4–6 days. Unlike adrenalectomized controls adrenalectomized rats treated with decaborane failed to increase their NA excretion during cold exposure and died in less than 20 hrs. The survival of cold‐exposed animals appears to be related to the liberation of NA, with A release serving as an important secondary mechanism of defense against cold. The results suggest that decaborane treatment curtails the supply of NA in vivo, presumably owing to inhibition of synthesis.