THE ACTION OF Δ1HYDROCORTISONE ON THE ANTIDIURETIC AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC RESPONSES TO NOXIOUS STIMULI1

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Abstract
Rats treated with large doses of Δ1 bydrocortisone do not exhibit a decrease in the adrenal ascorbic acid concentration after exposure to painful stimuli, injection with histamine or injection with nicotine. Such animals do respond to ACTH. Hydration results in a greater diuresis in Δ1 hydrocortisone-treated than in untreated rats. Exposure to noxious stimuli produces the same antidiuretic response in treated and untreated rats if such measures are taken in 20 or more hours after the injection of the corticosteroid. The minimal dosage of Pitressin intraperitoneally necessary to produce a significant decrease in the concentration of the adrenal ascorbic acid is more than 10 times greater in the hydrocortisone-treated than in the untreated rats. A significant decrease in adrenal ascorbic acid is produced in the treated animals by the intravenous injection of approximately twice the dosage required intraperitoneally by the untreated rat. Increasing the intravenous dosage produces no further depletion of ascorbic acid in the adrenals of treated animals. Identical adrenal cortical responses are obtained in the hydrocortisone-treated rats with similar intravenous doses of Pitressin, arginine-vasopressin and lysine-vasopressin. The data are interpreted to indicate that whereas the treatment with Prednisolone does not affect the responsiveness of the hypothalamus, it decreases markedly the responsiveness of the adenohypophysis and neurohypophysis of animals exposed to noxious stimuli.

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