The Influence of the Adrenal Cortex on Serum Protein Metabolism in Normal and Malignant Lymphoid Tissue* SIDNEYROBERTS

The hormonal secretions of the adrenal cortex are known to be capable of causing a striking re gression of normal lymphoid tissue (cf. 22) and of exerting at least a transient growth-arresting ef fect on various types of lymphoid tumors (1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 20, 21, 24). In contrast, a selective action of corticosteroids on the metabolism of nor mal and malignant lymphoid tissue has not been clearly demonstrated (cf., however, 7, 19). The observation has recently been made that pituitary-adrenal cortical activation may result in the enhanced mobilization of specific proteins from normal hepatic and splenic tissue (15, 18). These proteins appeared to require serum albu min for their formation (16), and were trans located about the body as plasma proteins (15). In view of these findings, it seemed of interest to investigate the effects of the adrenal cortical hor mones on serum protein metabolism in the pres ence of normal and malignant lymphoid tissues. Analyses were made of the alterations in total, nonprotein, and amino acid nitrogen and in the electrophoretic pattern of rat serum media in cubated with normal and malignant lymphoid tissues obtained from rats with varying degrees of adrenal cortical function. In addition, similar studies were carried out on the influence of the adrenal cortex on changes occurring in vivo in the serum of rats during the development of a trans planted lymphosarcoma. The results obtained are reported below.