[Secretion of aldosterone and corticosterone by the adrenals of Brattleboro rats in response to ACTH administration].

The secretions of aldosterone and corticosterone in response to administration of 0,5 mUI of (1,24) ACTH (synacthène-Ciba) were measured in the adrenal venous blood of 15 Brattleboro female rats genetically lacking vasopressin and in 15 Long-Evans female rats, pretreated with dexamethasone. The secretions of aldosterone and corticosterone increased according to a similar profile in the two groups of animals: maximum values were 20-30 min. after ACTH injection; however the steroidogenic secretion of the adrenal cortex was always about 50% less in the Brattleboro female rats than in Long-Evans female rats. This result suggests mainly that vasopressin may be involved in the mechanisms which control the in vivo production of aldosterone by the adrenal glomerulosa cells.