Effect of chronic administration of aldosterone on bile secretion, on liver cytochrome P-450, and on red blood cell sodium content.

Male adult albino rabbits received, during a period of two weeks, a daily subcutaneous injection of aldosterone, 150 micrograms/kg body weight. Twenty-four hr after the last injection, bile was collected during two hr under anaestheia, then the liver was removed and submitted to cytochrome P-450 measurements and microscopic analyses. Red blood cell sodium content was measured before and after aldosterone treatment. In animals treated with aldosterone, compared with controls, we found: (1) a significant diminution (p less than 0.01) of bile flow rate, of sodium biliary excretion and of biliary bile acid output; (2) a significant increase (p less than 0.001) of liver cytochrome P-450; (3) hyaline modifications of hepatocytes without necrosis or steatosis; (4) a proliferation of liver smooth endoplasmic reticulum; (5) an increase (p less than 0.001) of red blood cell sodium content.