The Effect of DOCA on Electrolyte Balance in Normal Man and its Relation to Sodium Chloride Intake *

It has been widely accepted that intramuscular administration of synthetic 11-desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) causes urinary retention of sodium, chloride and water, and loss of potassium both in normal subjects and in those with adrenocortical insufficiency."'8"' There is, however, a paucity of published information concerning many aspects of this question which have an important bearing on the problem of the adrenocortical regulation of fluid, electrolyte, and nitrogen balance. In an effort to elucidate this problem, detailed balance studies have been conducted on normal young adults who were given 20 to 40 mgm. of DOCA intramuscularly for periods of three to eleven days.