Renal urea clearance in normal and adrenalectomized rats after exercise

In groups of male Wistar rats, blood level, urinary excretion of urea, and renal urea clearance were determined in resting conditions or during 48-60 h after swimming for 30 min with an additional load of 10% of body weight as well as after swimming for 3 or 10 h without additional load. Both types of swimming exercise caused a significant increase in the blood level, urinary excretion, and renal clearance of urea. After 10-h swimming, the increase of renal urea clearance was observed only from the second period (0-12 h) of urine collection. In this type of exercise, an elevation of blood level of corticosterone was obtained after 6-h restitution. The increased urinary excretion and renal urea clearance persisted for a longer time than was necessary for the normalization of the blood level. A significant rise in blood urea level and a drop in renal urea clearance occurred after adrenalectomy. In adrenalectomized rats, increased urea excretion and renal clearance were observed 12-24 h after 3-h swimming, but the level of renal clearance obtained in sedentary normal rats was not achieved. The blood level of urea did not increase. This suggested that the glucocorticoids play a role both in urea formation during exercise and in its elevated renal clearance after exercise.     

Micropuncture study of renal transtubular concentration gradients of sodium and potassium in adrenalectomized rats

Summary Samples of proximal and distal tubular fluid were collected from control rats and from adrenalectomized animals maintained on 0.9% NaCl solution. Plasma and tubular fluid were analyzed for Na²² after adequate isotope equilibration and for Na and K by microflamephotometry. Similar analyses were performed in stationary microperfusion experiments in which the magnitude of the limiting concentration gradients for Na and K was estimated. Transtubular electrical potential differences were measured by means of glass-microelectrodes. A comparison of proximal tubular concentration gradients showed no significant differences between the control and the adrenalectomized rats for either Na or K. In contrast, the ability of the distal tubular epithelium to develop concentration gradients for Na and K was significantly reduced by adrenalectomy. This functional impairment could be reversed by the administration of d-aldosterone. No changes in proximal and distal transtubular electrical potential differences were observed in the various experimental conditions.With 5 Figures in the TextThis work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Heart Association, the Life Insurance Medical Fund and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.Part of this material was presented in abstract form [Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol. 279, R 26 (1964)].Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.Supported by Public Health Service Research Career Program Award (5-k6-AM-18).New York Health Research Council Career Scientist.     

Immunocytochemical ultrastructural study of hypothalamic neurons containing corticotropin-releasing factor in normal and adrenalectomized rats

The neurons of the rat hypothalamus which secrete corticotropin-releasing factor were studied by using a pre-embedding immunocytochemical staining technique that improves both the penetration of immunoreagents within the tissue and the preservation of the ultrastructural morphology of labeled structures. Comparison was made between the subcellular location of corticotropin-releasing factor-41 in perikarya of the paraventricular nucleus and axons of the median eminence, both in intact and adrenalectomized animals either untreated or 24 h after the intracerebral injection of colchicine. Morphometric analysis of the numerical density and of the diameter of corticotropin-releasing factor immunoreactive neurosecretory granules in axons of the median eminence of rats not treated with colchicine, indicated that the main modifications induced by adrenalectomy concerned (1) the differential repartition of labeled granules within the preterminal and terminal axonal portions of the median eminence, and (2) the enlargement of the diameter of labeled granules contained in these axons (from 98 nm to 165 nm). In the hypothalamus of intact and adrenalectomized rats, colchicine treatment increased the number of corticotropin-releasing factor-immunoreactive granules in the neuronal perikarya and reduced their number in the axons, but both these variations were much more marked in adrenalectomized rats. Although the corticotropin-releasing factor immunoreactive granules that accumulated in the perikarya after colchicine treatment were slightly smaller than those in the corresponding axons, the diameter of perikaryal-labeled granules was larger in adrenalectomized than in intact animals (129 nm vs 93 nm). These findings fit the idea that adrenalectomy markedly stimulates both the synthesis and axonal excretion of secretory granules in the hypothalamic neurons secreting corticotropin-releasing factor. They also indicate that suppression of circulating corticosteroids induces qualitative modifications in these neurons leading to the visualization of larger neurosecretory granules, which may reflect differential synthesis and granular packing of synergistic peptides other than corticotropin-releasing factor and/or changes in the process of intragranular maturation of hormonal material.     

Effect of ACTH on lipolysis in adipose tissue of normal and adrenalectomized rats in vivo.

Parametrial fat-pads of fed rats were perfused in vivo. Rates of release of glycerol and free fatty acids (FFA) were determined from venous-arterial difference and plasma flow. Adrenalectomy lowered basal release of FFA and glycerol, but not reesterification of FFA within the fat-pad. ACTH (5 mug iv) in normal rats increased release of FFA and glycerol (mumol-g-1-h-1) from basal values of 0.90 and 0.48 to 3.2 and 1.3, respectively, and in adrenalectomized rats from 0.41 and 0.33 to 1.5 and 3.1, respectively. Thus in normal rats ACTH increased the molar ratio of FFA to glycerol released from 1.9 to 2.5, whereas in adrenalectomized rats the ratio fell from 1.3 to 0.5. After stimulation of lipolysis in normal rats 85% of the FFA formed were released but only 20% in adrenalectomized rats; the remainder was reesterified to triglyceride. It is concluded that adipose tissue of adrenalectomized rats is sensitive to the lipolytic activity of ACTH, but increased glucose utilization by adipocytes in the absence of glucocorticoid enhances reesterification and reduces release of FFA by the tissue.