Increase In Inorganic Phosphorus Research Articles

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of 2-ethylbutanal in F344 rats

2-Ethylbutanal (2-EB) has been used as a flavoring agent. Here, we performed a 13-week subchronic toxicity study of 2-EB in F344 rats. 2-EB was given orally by gavage, using doses of 0, 50, 200 or 800 mg/kg BW/day. Reduced body weight gain was noted in both sexes at 800 mg/kg BW. Hematologic assessment showed a decrease in platelet counts in males at 200 mg/kg BW and both sexes at 800 mg/kg BW. Serum biochemistry demonstrated increases in inorganic phosphorus in both sexes at 200 and 800 mg/kg BW, increases in glucose in females at 200 and 800 mg/kg BW and increases in urea nitrogen in both sexes at 800 mg/kg BW. Regarding organ weights, increases in absolute and relative weights of the liver and kidney with toxicological significance were detected in both sexes at 200 and 800 mg/kg BW. Hepatocellular hypertrophy with eosinophilic granular cytoplasmic changes in the liver were observed in males at 200 mg/kg BW and in both sexes at 800 mg/kg BW. Necrosis/regeneration of proximal tubules in the kidney was detected in females at 800 mg/kg BW. Based on these results, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 2-EB was evaluated to be 50 mg/kg BW/day for both sexes.

Phytoplankton assemblage changes during decadal decreases in nitrogen loadings to the urbanized Long Island Sound estuary, USA

Despite reductions in nitrogen loadings from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharging into Long Island Sound (LIS) over the last 15 yr, eutrophication and hypoxia remain a severe problem. Here we used time series of hydrography, meteorology, nutrients, and phyto- plankton pigments to explore the relationships between planktonic biomass, nutrient stocks, and physical regimes in LIS. With the exception of the most eutrophied station in the west, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) decreased between 1995 and 2009, likely resulting from WWTP upgrades. However, total dissolved nitrogen increased during this period, primarily driven by ris- ing organic nitrogen pools. Simultaneous increases in inorganic phosphorus, silicate, and chloro- phyll a (chl a) were also observed. Starting in 2002, pigment-based phytoplankton community composition revealed systematic declines in diatom abundances coincident with increases in dinoflagellates and other flagellated phytoplankton groups. Despite this, bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations did not improve. The apparent paradox between increasing DIN limitation and escalating chl a concentrations in LIS suggests a shifting nutrient stoichiometry and an altered phytoplankton community in which phytoflagellates have increased in abundance relative to diatoms. Despite these changes, diatoms remained the most abundant algal group by the end of the study. In addition, a shift in chl a stocks in the year 2000 coincided with decreases in temper- ature, increases in salinity, and the proliferation of several algal groups. These results reveal the complex nature of eutrophied estuaries and indicate that policies targeting only inorganic nitro- gen loadings may be insufficient to mitigate eutrophication in systems such as LIS.

Development and Characterization of Low‐Phytate Pea

ABSTRACTThe majority of the total phosphorus in seeds is stored in the form of phytate, a mixed‐cation salt of phytic acid. Phytate is not well digested by humans and monogastric animals. Phosphorus excretion is one of the major pollutants of surface waters in many locations in the world. Important micronutrients such as iron and zinc bound to phytate are also excreted, potentially leading to micronutrient deficiencies. Low‐phytate mutants have been developed in several crop species as one strategy to deal with the phytate problem. The objective of this research was the development of low‐phytate pea (Pisum sativum L.) using chemical mutagenesis of cultivar CDC Bronco, and the agronomic characterization of two resulting lines. In these lines, phytate phosphorus concentration was reduced by approximately 60%, with a compensating increase in inorganic phosphorus. The low‐phytate lines were similar in agronomic performance to CDC Bronco, except for somewhat slower time to flowering and maturity, slightly lower seed weight, and slightly lower grain yield. Low‐phytate field pea should have potential to improve phosphorus and micronutrient bioavailability in human and animal diets.

Phosphorus Fertility Effects on the Expression of the Low Phytic Acid Barley Phenotype

ABSTRACTLow phytic acid (LPA) barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars partition phosphorus (P) in seed tissue differently than conventional wild‐type (WT) barley cultivars. A reduction in seed phytic acid (myo‐inositol‐1,2,3,4,5,6‐hexkisphosphate) is coupled with an increase in inorganic phosphorus (Pi). The response of the LPA characteristic to phosphate fertilization has not been previously investigated; therefore the effect of phosphate fertility on barley seed yield, and concentrations of seed total P, seed Pi, and flag leaf P was investigated at four locations over two years. The LPA cultivars were hypothesized to behave similarly to WT cultivars, therefore two WT cultivars, Baronesse and Colter, were compared to one LPA cultivar, Herald (lpa1–1 mutation), and one LPA advanced breeding line, 01ID451H (mutation 640). At three locations, phosphate fertilizer (P2O5) was applied in the form of triple superphosphate (0–45–0) at rates of 0, 56, 112, and 168 kg ha−1 Increased P fertilization was associated with increased flag leaf P concentration, but no changes were observed for other measured characteristics. At a fourth location, differential soil P fertility was provided via previously established plots varying from very low to adequate P fertility. Inadequate levels of P were associated with delayed maturity, and reductions in yield, test weight, height, and total seed P concentration. The responses of LPA and WT barleys were similar, indicating the LPA traits in barley originating from the lpa1‐1 and 640 mutations are stable under a wide range of soil P fertility.

Isolation and characterization of a low phytic acid rice mutant reveals a mutation in the rice orthologue of maize MIK

Using a forward genetics approach, we isolated two independent low phytic acid (lpa) rice mutants, N15-186 and N15-375. Both mutants are caused by single gene, recessive non-lethal mutations, which result in approximately 75% (N15-186) and 43% (N15-375) reductions in seed phytic acid (inositol hexakisphosphate). High-performance liquid chromatography and GC-MS analysis of seed extracts from N15-186 indicated that, in addition to phytic acid, inositol monophosphate was significantly reduced whereas inorganic phosphorus and myo-inositol were greatly increased when compared with wild-type. The changes observed in N15-186 resemble those previously described for the maize lpa3 mutant. Analysis of N15-375 revealed changes similar to those observed in previously characterized rice lpa1 mutants (i.e. significant reduction in phytic acid and corresponding increase in inorganic phosphorus with little or no change in inositol phosphate intermediates or myo-inositol). Further genetic analysis of the N15-186 mutant indicated that the mutation, designated lpa N15-186, was located in a region on chromosome 3 between the microsatellite markers RM15875 and RM15907. The rice orthologue of maize lpa3, which encodes a myo-inositol kinase, is in this interval. Sequence analysis of the N15-186 allele of this orthologue (Os03g52760) revealed a single base pair change (C/G to T/A) in the first exon of the gene, which results in a nonsense mutation. Our results indicate that lpa N15-186 is a mutant allele of the rice myo-inositol kinase (OsMIK) gene. Identification and characterization of lpa mutants, such as N15-186, will facilitate studies on the regulation of phytic acid biosynthesis and accumulation and help address questions concerning the contribution of the inositol lipid-dependent and independent biosynthetic pathways to the production of seed phytic acid.

The rice OsLpa1 gene encodes a novel protein involved in phytic acid metabolism

The rice low phytic acid 1 (lpa1) mutant was originally identified using a forward genetics approach. This mutant exhibits a 45% reduction in rice seed phytic acid with a molar-equivalent increase in inorganic phosphorus; however, it does not appear to differ significantly in productivity from its wild-type progenitor. A second lpa1 mutant was identified from additional screening for high seed inorganic phosphorus phenotypes. Using a positional cloning strategy, we identified a single candidate gene at the rice Lpa1 locus. Sequence analysis of the candidate gene from the lpa1 mutants revealed two independent mutations (a single base pair substitution and a single base pair deletion) that confirmed the identification of this candidate as the rice low phytic acid 1 gene, OsLpa1. The OsLpa1 gene has three splice variants. The location and nature of the two mutations suggests that these lesions only affect the translation of the predicted protein derived from the longest transcript. The proteins encoded by OsLpa1 do not have homology to any of the inositol phosphate metabolism genes recently characterized in plants, although there is homology to 2-phosphoglycerate kinase, an enzyme found in hyperthermophilic methanogens that catalyzes the formation of 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate from 2-phosphoglycerate. OsLpa1 represents a novel gene involved in phytic acid metabolism.

Molecular marker development and linkage analysis in three low phytic acid barley (Hordeum vulgare) mutant lines

Phytate is the primary form of phosphorus found in mature cereal grain. This form of phosphorus is not available to monogastric animals due to a lack of the enzyme phytase in their digestive tract. Several barley low phytic acid (lpa) mutants have been identified that contain substantial decreases in seed phytate accompanied by concomitant increases in inorganic phosphorus. Seed homozygous for low phytic acid 1-1 (lpa1-1) or low phytic acid 2-1 (lpa2-1) has a 50% and 70% decrease in seed phytate respectively. These mutations were previously mapped to chromosomes 2HL and 7HL respectively. The RFLP marker ABC153 located in the same region of 2H was converted to a sequence-characterized-amplified-region (SCAR) marker. Segregation analysis of the CDC McGwire × Lp422 doubled haploid population confirmed linkage between the SCAR marker and the lpa1-1 locus with 15% recombination. A third low phytic acid mutant, M635, has a 75% decrease in phytate. This mutation was located to chromosome 1HL by linkage with an inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) based marker (LP75) identified through bulked-segregant analysis, and has been designated lpa3-1. Based on analysis of recombination between marker LP75 and low phytic acid in an additional mutant line M955 (95% phytate decrease), lpa3-1 and the mutation in M955 are in the same region on chromosome 1HL, and may be allelic.

Low-phytic-acid Grains

As one approach to the improvement of the nutritional quality of crops for both foods and feeds, low-phytic-acid (lpa) mutants of maize and other cereals have been isolated. An important advantage of lpa mutants is that the bioavailability of a range of minerals may be improved, although phytic acid can also function as an antioxidant. Livestock producers are primarily concerned with excretion of feed phytic acid phosphorus by livestock and fish. This contributes to water pollution and is a major environmental issue in developed countries. In these mutants, phytic acid phosphorus is reduced by 55% to 66%, which is matched by an equal increase in inorganic phosphorus. Greater reductions in phytic acid, as high as 95% to 99%, may be desirable and are possible. The first two studies of an lpa maize in human nutrition found increased fractional absorption of iron and zinc in the lpa maize as compared with the control maize. Yields of the best lpa lines, first developed in the mid-1990s, now range between 5% and 15% below those of the highest-yielding commercial varieties. Because of benefits for animal nutrition, lpa crops could become highly profitable for use as animal feeds. All lpa lines to date have been developed using classical genetic methods; these classically obtained mutants affect the expression of a given gene throughout the tissues and organs of a plant. BY using a biotechnology approach, it may be possible to achieve optimal levels of phytic acid reduction and target the desired effect to the seed, thereby reducing any undesirable agronomic effects of whole-plant mutants.

Chronic dietary toxicity study on 2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid in the dog.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxybutyric acid (2,4-DB) is principally used in the United States as a herbicide on peanuts, soybeans, and alfalfa. In Europe, it is used on cereals, undersown cereals, lucerne (alfalfa), clover, and clover mixtures. A 1-year chronic toxicity study in the dog was performed on 2,4-DB. Doses in the study of 0, 75, 225, and 450 ppm were administered to six animals/sex/group. The top dose was reduced from 675 ppm during week 7 of the study due to body weight loss and decreased food consumption. Four animals/sex/group were euthanized after 52 weeks of treatment and two animals/sex/group were placed on control diet for 4 weeks and euthanized at week 56. Treatment-related findings included reductions in body weight gain and food consumption, and minor increases in inorganic phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. After the 4-week recovery period, the only parameter that did not return to control levels was the aspartate aminotransferase. Gross pathology evaluation noted distended gallbladders and decreased organ weights were noted in females for the adrenal, spleen, and ovaries. Histologically, the liver and kidney were the target organs. The data from the study support a chronic no observed adverse effect level of 75 ppm (2.39 and 2.15 mg/kg/day for males and females, respectively) for 2,4-DB. There was no indication of any immunotoxic or oncogenic response in the studies. In conclusion, the findings in this study indicate the general low toxicity of 2,4-DB following chronic dietary exposure in the dog.

Chronic Dietary Toxicity Study on 2,4-Dichlorophenoxybutyric Acid in the Dog

2,4-Dichlorophenoxybutyric acid (2,4-DB) is principally used in the United States as a herbicide on peanuts, soybeans, and alfalfa. In Europe, it is used on cereals, undersown cereals, lucerne (alfalfa), clover, and clover mixtures. A 1-year chronic toxicity study in the dog was performed on 2,4-DB. Doses in the study of 0, 75, 225, and 450 ppm were administered to six animals/sex/group. The top dose was reduced from 675 ppm during week 7 of the study due to body weight loss and decreased food consumption. Four animals/sex/group were euthanized after 52 weeks of treatment and two animals/sex/group were placed on control diet for 4 weeks and euthanized at week 56. Treatment-related findings included reductions in body weight gain and food consumption, and minor increases in inorganic phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase. After the 4-week recovery period, the only parameter that did not return to control levels was the aspartate aminotransferase. Gross pathology evaluation noted distended gallbladders and decreased organ weights were noted in females for the adrenal, spleen, and ovaries. Histologically, the liver and kidney were the target organs. The data from the study support a chronic no observed adverse effect level of 75 ppm (2.39 and 2.15 mg/kg/day for males and females, respectively) for 2,4-DB. There was no indication of any immunotoxic or oncogenic response in the studies. In conclusion, the findings in this study indicate the general low toxicity of 2,4-DB following chronic dietary exposure in the dog.

Effect of intrauterine contraceptive device on concentration of inorganic phosphorus and cholesterol in human uterine fluid

Uterine fluid, basically the endometrial secretion, is in dynamic exchange by influx and efflux with the oviducal and cervical fluids. During investigation the uterine fluid of both parous and IUCD women was collected and evaluated for inorganic phosphorus and cholesterol. The results of parous women were compared with the results of IUCD women. The trend of fluctuation in inorganic phosphorus concentration during different phases of menstrual cycle were same in both parous and IUCD women. But there was an increase in concentration in case of IUCD women in all stages of the menstrual cycle. After comparison with parous women a decrease in uterine fluid cholesterol concentration during proliferative period and increase during luteal period of IUCD women was observed. This increase in inorganic phosphorus and decrease and an increase in cholesterol concentration in IUCD women might be responsible in making uterine fluid environment unfavourable for sperm survival and blastocyst implantation.

Biochemical changes in phosphorus compounds and in the activity of phytase and α‐amylase in the rice (Oryza sativa) grain during germination

AbstractChanges in the phytic acid, inorganic phosphorus and ATP contents, and in the activity of phytase and α‐amylase in rice (Oryza sativa L) grains were determined during 18 days of germination in a dark room. The effect of phytic acid on α‐amylase activity was studied in vitro. Rice grains immersed in sterilised deionised water at 14°C germinated on the fifth day. Phytase activity, detected in the ripening rice grains, increased linearly until the eighth day and reached a maximum on the tenth day. There was a marked decrease in phytate and an increase in inorganic phosphorus accompanying germination. There was a good inverse correlation between the levels of both phytase activity and inorganic phosphorus, and phytate breakdown. α‐Amylase activity was detected on the fourth day and increased markedly from the 12th to the 16th day of germination. ATP level increased from the second to the fourth day and slightly decreased from the fourth to the eighth day; it increased rapidly again from the eighth to the 18th day of germination. α‐Amylase activity was influenced by both pH and phytic acid concentration in the assay system. At 75 mM phytic acid, α‐amylase activity was lowered by 23%, 93% and 52% at pH 4–0, 5–0 and 6–0 respectively. When the enzyme, phytate and Ca2+ were incubated together at pH 5–0, the inhibition of α‐amylase by phytic acid was markedly decreased by addition of Ca2+. The chemical affinity of Ca2+ for phytic acid was higher in the reaction at pH 5–0 than in those at pH 4–0 and pH 6–0, and over 98% of Ca2+ in the reaction system was precipitated as Ca‐phytate.

Effects of Microwave Heating and Gamma Irradiation on Phytate and Phospholipid Contents of Soybean (Glycine max. L.)

ABSTRACTThe effect of microwave heating and gamma irradiation treatments on phosphorus compounds of soybean seeds were studied. Inorganic phosphorus was significantly (P < 0.05) increased while, phytate and phospholipids were significantly decreased when soybean seeds were microwave‐heated for 9 min or more. Furthermore, gamma‐irradiation treatments of 20 KGy or more significantly increased inorganic phosphorus and decreased phytate and phospholipids of the beans. Two dimensional thin‐layer chromatography was employed to study the phospholipid pattern. Gamma‐irradiation at doses from 40 to 100 KGy produced lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid. The data of this study showed that, the increase of inorganic phosphorus was mainly due to the decomposition of phytic acids and phosphates of inositol.

In vivo31P Magnetresonanz Spektroskopie und MRI bei Patienten mit oberflächlich gelegenen Tumoren

Simultaneous 31P-MR spectroscopy (MRS) and MR imaging (MRI) of 10 patients suffering from superficial tumours like carcinoma, lymphoma and adenoma, revealed significantly enhanced concentrations of phosphomonoester, phosphodiester and inorganic phosphorus in the tumour, whereas the concentration of phosphocreatine was lower in comparison to muscle tissue. In all tumours the pH showed a slight alkaline shift. The existing of necrotic regions detected by MRI was accompanied by an increase of inorganic phosphorus in the spectra. A follow-up study of a patient with a lymphoma during chemotherapy showed a tumour regression, whereas the spectra indicated a continuous approach of tumour values to the muscle values.

EFFECT OF GERMINATION, COOKING, AND CANNING ON PHOSPHORUS AND PHYTATE RETENTION IN DRY BEANS

ABSTRACTThe effects of germination, cooking and canning on the changes in total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus and phytate retention in black‐eyed, red kidney, mung, and pink beans were determined in this study. Soaking the dry beans in water for 12 hr at 24°C resulted in a slight decrease in phytate. After germination for 96 hr or longer there was a significant breakdown in phytic acid, and an increase in inorganic phosphorus. Cooking the dry beans at 100°C for 3 hr had little effect on phytate retention. Heat processing the dry beans at 1155°C for 3 hr in cans resulted in some increase in inorganic phosphorus and a reduction in phytate.

Tissue respiration and adenosinetriphosphatase activity in dogs in deep hypothermia

The authors studied the intensity of tissue respiration (studied monometrically) and the adenosinetriphosphatase activity (by increase of inorganic phosphorus) in the brain, heart, and skeletal musculature of dogs in deep hypothermia depending on the length of circulatory arrest (30 and 60 minutes) and subsequent warming of the animals to normal temperature. Cooling (to 10° in the mediastinum) and subsequent warming was effected in 10–15 minutes by means of extracorporeal circulation. The tissue respiration and adenosinetriphosphatase activity showed a marked change especially in the brain tissue under the effect of deep hypothermia. Respiratory disturbances of all the tissues investigated were manifested by a reduction of the absorbed O2, and by a drop of the CO2 discharged; the decarboxylation process was disturbed more acutely as seen by the reduced respiratory quotient. A more marked depression of adenosinetriphosphatase activity was revealed in the tissues of cardiac and skeletal muscles following a 60 minute circulatory arrest. After the animals were warmed the tissue respiration and adenosinetriphosphatase activity augmented in all the tissues, indicating that the oxidative metabolic changes in conditions of deep hypothermia were reversible.

Early ontogenic changes in the concentration of alkaline phosphatase in Hawaiian sea urchins

The histochemical method for the detection of alkaline phosphatase according to the schedule of Danielli was applied to whole eggs and embryos and to histological sections of different developmental stages of Tripneustes gratilla and Colobocentrotus atratus. Sections of oocytes showed little or no alkaline phosphatase activity except in the nucleolus. The rest of the nucleoplasm and the whole cytoplasm could not be distinguished from the control. In mature ova of T. gratilla the nucleus showed higher enzyme activity than the cytoplasm. In pigmented eggs of C. atratus this method could not show the enzyme activity in the ovum and cleavage stages in total mount preparations. In both species tissue distribution of alkaline phosphatase occurs with the beginning of gastrulation. In gastrula the archenteron and primary mesenchyme cells had higher activity than the other tissues. In later stages, from gastrula to pluteus, the wall of the gut consistently showed higher activity than other tissues. The primary mesenchyme cells and their descendant skeletogenic cells of the endoskeleton showed the next concentration of this enzyme. The hydroenterocoels, which began as evaginations from the dorsal wall of the gut and had this enzyme, were devoid of activity after separation from the gut. The ectodermal cells of the anterior border of the pluteus also had enzyme activity, although it was lower in concentration than the gut and the skeletogenic mesenchyme cells. Mature eggs, gastrulae and plutei of the Hawaiian sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla were studied biochemically for changes in alkaline phosphatase activity during development. The increase in precipitation produced by the Gomori-Takamatsu technique at the different stages studied parallels the increase in inorganic phosphorus released from the substrate by incubation of similar stage of material in direct biochemical analysis. In the mature ova of this species the Q p value of alkaline phosphatase activity was about half as much as that of the gastrulae and the plutei were about six times as active enzymatically as the unfertilized eggs and about three times as active as the gastrulae.

Changes in Carbohydrate and Phosphorus Content of Potato Tubers during Storage in Nitrogen

SUMMARYWhen potatoes are stored in nitrogen at low temperatures, starch decomposition, release of starch‐bound phosphorus, and accumulation of inorganic phosphorus are less than during storage in air. Although there is a complete suppression of sugar accumulation, evidence is presented that the starch removed appears as substances, probably end‐products of anaerobic glycolysis, that are volatile at the temperatures used to determine percent dry weight. The decreases in starch‐bound phosphorus are balanced by a corresponding increase in inorganic phosphorus in both air‐stored and nitrogen‐stored potatoes. The decrease in the phytic acid phosphorus in air‐stored tubers can be accounted for largely as an increase in the fraction containing phosphoproteins, nucleic acids, and phospholipids, whereas the corresponding loss of phytic acid phosphorus in nitrogen‐stored tubers appears largely in the fraction containing nucleotide coenzymes and hexose phosphates. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the requirements for high‐energy phosphate derived from the respiratory process and needed for biosynthesis.

Effect of boric acid on the phosphoglucomutase of pea seeds.

IT has been suggested that a possible role of boron in higher plants is to activate the processes involved in the uptake and movement of sugars, and the manner of operation has been attributed to the facility with which boric acid forms complexes with the cis-hydroxyl groups of the sugar molecule. Dugger and Humphrey1 suggest, as the result of assay of a comprehensive range of enzymes from pea seedlings, that boron inhibits sucrose synthesis from uridinetriphosphate, glucose-1-phosphate and fructose, and stabilizes the level of uridine diphospho-glucose as well as increasing the rate of its formation. They consider that boron inhibits starch phosphoryl-ase, thus increasing the availability of glucose-1-phosphate for the formation of uridine diphospho-glucose. The transfer of the former through the normal glycolytic cycle is considered to be unaffected on the basis of assay of specific enzymes, including phosphoglucomutase. The phosphoglucomutase used was apparently prepared from muscle, and, in fact, it has been shown that low concentrations of boric acid specifically inhibit the phosphoglucomutase of pea seeds2. The enzyme can be purified by alcohol fractionation at − 5° C. and obtained free of phos-phorylase and phosphatases which utilize the substrate and products. The phosphoglucomutase activity is always associated with that of phospho-hexoisomerase, but this enzyme has been found to be unaffected by boric acid. Fig. 1 shows the extent of the inhibition by a range of concentration in a preparation of this type. The fall in inorganic phosphorus + phosphorus released by hydrolysis at 100° C. in 1 N hydrochloric acid (free + 7′P) is used as a measure of formation of glucose-6-phosphate. When the purified system is used, no increase in inorganic phosphorus occurs during the time required for the system to reach equilibrium, and at this time chromatographic assay indicates the presence of only glucose-1-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate.

Quantitative histological distribution of certain phosphorus compounds in the rat adrenal in various functional states.

The quantitative histological distribution of inorganic and labile-ester phosphorus compounds in the adrenal gland of the male albino rat was studied. Subcutaneous injection of 25 mg. ACTH per kg. 3 hours prior to sacrifice lowered labile-ester phosphorus (predominantly ATP) in the fasciculata and elevated this fraction in the reticular-medullary border zone and medulla. Inorganic phosphorus was more uniformly distributed throughout the zones and the ACTH treatment produced some increase in all regions except outer fasciculata. Analysis of whole-gland homogenates prepared from adrenals of untreated animals killed at noon and at midnight revealed a considerable decrease in labile-ester and a significant increase in inorganic phosphorus at midnight. Injection of ACTH largely abolished these day-night differences by decreasing the values of the former and increasing those of latter in the noon group. A series of subcutaneous cortisone injections (7 mg. cortisone acetate/kg, daily for 2 weeks) produced signif...