THE INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE RECOVERY OF THE RAT ADRENAL FROM STILBESTROL INDUCED STRESS12

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Abstract
THE adrenal hypertrophy which follows the injection of estrogen is well documented. However, recovery of adrenal size and function following estrogen induced stress and the factors which modify the recovery phase have received little attention. Lynch (1952) observed that the adrenal continued to hypertrophy, in rats, for 3 weeks after discontinuing estradiol benzoate and that adrenal weight did not return to normal until 9 weeks after the cessation of treatment. The influence of nutrition on the recovery phase was not studied. Nevertheless, nutritional studies warrant consideration for chronic inanition alone serves as a stress in rats (Quimby, 1948), guinea pigs (D’Angelo et al., 1948) and mice (Boutwell et al., 1948). Furthermore, a high protein diet may increase the response of the pituitary-adrenal system to stress (Ingle et al., 1947; Leathern, 1947; Hay et al. 1948; Moya et al., 1948; Henriques et al., 1949) and an adequate amount of protein is required for a maximal adrenal response to stress (Constantinides, 1950; Ershoff, 1952).