ADRENAL MEDULLA IN WATER DIURESIS AND WATER INTOXICATION12

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Abstract
The effects of adrenal medullectomy and of epine-phrine injns. on the diuretic response to water and the resistance to excess water given by stomach tube were studied in rats. The response of medullectomized animals was similar to that of normal ones after the ingestion of either small or large amts. of water. Epinephrine injns. (30-150 7/ 100 gs. body wt.) greatly augmented the polyuria induced by hourly ingestion of the standard water dose in normal animals, and to such an extent in some instances that dehydration resulted while water was being administered. When water was given at 1/2-hr. intervals, the effect on diuresis was less pronounced and water intoxication was not prevented. Chloride excretion was enhanced in all in-stances by epinephrine. Epinephrine increased diuresis in adrenalectomized animals given water but its effects were less marked in preventing symptoms of water intoxication. Epinephrine supplemented the action of desoxycorticosterone acetate on the diuresis of adrenalectomized rats, and partially counteracted the antidiuretic action of vasopressin in normal rats. It is concluded that the effects of adrenalec-tomy on water excretion are not due in significant part to loss of the adrenal medulla, and that any important phy-siologic role of epinephrine in water diuresis is not estab-lished by these expts.