An effect of adrenalectomy and cortisone on tissue permeability in vitro.

Abstract

A FEW years ago a simple technique was described whereby the swelling of tissue slices in various solutions could be measured1. This swelling was presumably largely the result of osmotic activity and reflected the permeability of structures within the tissue slice to substances in the bathing solution. With brain cortex slices it was found that some swelling occurred in isotonic or hypertonic sodium chloride solutions lacking protein. In solutions containing only sugars, extreme swelling occurred as if the sugars penetrated membranes freely and exerted no osmotic pressure. But in the presence of small amounts of electrolytes the sugars behaved as completely non-penetrating. The effects of various materials, including an adrenal cortical extract, were tested to see whether they could influence the swelling or the effect of electrolyte. No obvious result was obtained at that time. Clearly significant effects of adrenalectomy and cortisone, but not of deoxycorticosterone, have now been obtained.