THE EFFECT OF PURE ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE ON THE WORK PERFORMANCE OF HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED RATS

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Abstract
Two expts. were carried out to test the effect of pure adrenocorticotrophic hormone upon the ability of hypophysectomized [male] rats to work. All of the treated rats received 0.5 mg. of the hormone thrice daily following hypophysectomy. In expt. 1, 5 treated rats were compared with 6 untreated rats-after a postoperative period of 14 days. The hormone caused an accelerated loss of wt., a marked adrenal cortical hypertrophy, thymus atrophy and a marked increase in the amt. of work over the very poor performance of untreated animals. In expt. 2, all animals were subjected to the work test immediately following hypophysectomy. The 5 untreated animals showed very poor performance with complete loss of muscular responsiveness within 18 hrs. The 2 treated animals showed a greatly improved although subnormal performance and required 116 and 144 hrs. for complete fatigue.