EFFECTS OF VARIOUS PEPTIDES ON ALDOSTERONE PRODUCTION OF SODIUM DEFICIENT RATS
ABSTRACT The effect of angiotensin II, vasopressin, ACTH, α- and β-MSH and several ACTH fragments was studied on the production of aldosterone in sodium-deficient intact and hypophysectomized rats and in animals pretreated with dexamethasone-pentobarbitone (D-N) or pentobarbitone-chlorpromazine (N-CPZ). As an index of the production of aldosterone in vivo the rate of aldosterone production by excised adrenal tissue in vitro was used. The effect of angiotensin II and vasopressin on aldosterone production was inhibited by previous hypophysectomy or by pretreatment with large amounts of dexamethasone while the action of ACTH was not affected by these measures. Except for α-MSH, none of the other ACTH-fragments was capable of stimulating the rate of aldosterone production in D-N rats. This was interpreted as indicating that the stimulatory effect of ACTH on aldosterone production in sodium-deficient rats is a property of the whole ACTH-molecule.