The Effect of Potassium Deficiency upon Adreno- Cortical Secretion

The potassium-deficient rat exhibits several features in common with the untreated adrenalectomized rat, among which are subnormal growth. lowered blood pressure (1-3), diminished blood pressure responsiveness to pressor substances (4), and decreased tolerance to trauma. It therefore was considered important to determine whether the depressor response induced by potassium depletion might in fact be due to an associated state of adrenocortical insufficiency induced by the chronic potassium depletion. Such a mechanism appeared plausible particularly in view of our finding that the administration of cortisone rapidly returns the lowered blood pressures induced by potassium deficiency in rats to their initially normotensive (5) or hypertensive levels (6).