EFFECT OF VARIOUS ELECTROLYTES UPON THE TOXICITY OF DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE ACETATE

¹ From the Department of Anatomy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

The experiments described in this communication confirm that unilateral nephrectomy and large amounts of sodium chloride sensitize the rat to certain morphologic manifestations of DCA overdosage (nephrosclerosis, cardiac lesions and periarteritis nodosa).

The sensitization by NaCl is not due to time Cl ion, but to the Na ion, as indicated by the fact that other chlorides are ineffective in this respect, while other Na salts share this action of NaCl.

A number of electrolytes were tested for their ability to prevent the renal and cardiovascular damage normally elicited by DCA. Among these, only the "acidifying" salts (ammonium sulphate, ammonium chloride, ammonium nitrate and calcium chloride) proved to possess any noteworthy protecting activity.

Although we confirm that DCA causes a decrease in the chloride and potassium content of the serum, neither of these changes can be made directly responsible for the morphologic manifestations of DCA overdosage. Treatment with electrolytes which restore to normal the serum chloride or serum potassium values, does not necessarily prevent the cardiovascular lesions produced by DCA in the rat.