Effect of Adrenalectomy on the Chemical Composition of Cardiac Muscle in Parabiotic and Single Rats

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Abstract
Marked differences in heart and thymus weight were found between intact and adrenalectomized parabiotic rats. This effect of adrenalectomy was not observed in single rats 2 or 3 days after operation. Significant increases in K and decreases in Na occurred in hearts of adrenalectomized parabionts. The K-Na ratios of hearts of adrenalectomized single rats were within a normal range. The electrolyte imbalance found in hearts of adrenalectomized parabionts suggests a "parabiotic barrier" which exists for the transfer of adrenal steroids through the anastomosis.