Effect of 7, 12-Dimethylbenz (α) anthracene upon Adrenal Cortex of Mammals

Abstract

In rats of Sprague-Dawley strain 7,12-Dimethylbenz (α) anthracene (DMBA) causes massive and selective necrosis with apoplexy within the inner zones of adrenal cortex, The adrenal apoplexy induced by DMBA was found to be related to corticosterone content of adrenal gland by the authors. Species-difference in adrenocortical secretion was re ported by Bush and Holzbauer. In the present experiments the strain-difference of rats in _adrenal apoplexy was abolished by corticotropin-pretreatment. In the other species of mammals than rats, however, no adrenal necrosis was induced even by the lethal dosis of DMBA, and ACTH could not elevate the adrenals of them to the susceptible state wherein DMBA induced necrosis and apoplexy in the cortex.