Effect of tetramethylammonium and potassium chloride on adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid secretion in unanesthetized dogs.

Adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) secretion was followed after injection of tetramethylammonium or potassium chloride. In unanesthetized dogs the adrenal venous blood was collected by a modification of the method of Satake and his co-workers and was analyzed for 17-OHCS by the method of Nelson and Samuels. The 17-OHCS secretion rate before injection was 0.03 0.29 ƒÊg/kg/min. After injection of tetramethylammonium it increased markedly in all of 3 dogs and attained to 1.10-1.43 ƒÊg/kg/min. After injection of potassium chloride it increased definitely in 2 of 3 dogs and attained to 1.14-1.73 ƒÊg/kg/min.