A screening test to indicate opposition to the cardiovascular-renal effects of desoxycorticosterone acetate in the rat: the effect of adrenal cortical extract.

Abstract

The large number of studies concerning the experimental production of hypertension by desoxycorticosterone acetate (DCA) has focused attention on the possible role of some adrenal pressor material in essential hypertension (Selye, Hall and Rowley, 1943; Friedman, Polley and Friedman, 1948). Recently, we have observed in the rat that a short period of intensive treatment with DCA may result in a hypertension which persists long after all treatment has been discontinued (Friedman and Friedman, 1949a). This “self-su.s:ained” hypertension is not directly referable to the original anatomical kidney lesion so that it is, in a sense, “essential”. As a result of these studies, it seemed to us of importance to investigate the possibility that other steroids might be capable of inhibiting the hypertensive effects of DCA. The present communication reports on our initial experiences with a qualitative test designed to demonstrate interference with the cardiovascular-renal effects of this steroid.