PITUITARY AND ADRENAL INFLUENCE ON THE 'ENDOCRINE-KIDNEY SYNDROME'

Abstract

SUMMARY Experiments on rats indicate that: 1. Permanent unilateral renal ischaemia (the 'endocrine kidney') plus administration of Na2HPO4 produces a characteristic cardiovascular-renal syndrome consisting of two basic types of lesions: (a) cardiac hyalinization (with periarteritis), and (b) infarct-like myocardial necrosis. The non-ischaemic kidney reveals severe calcification. 2. Adrenalectomy does not significantly alter this pathological pattern. 3. Hypophysectomy prevents the hyalinization and periarteritis, inhibits nephrocalcinosis, but does not affect the infarct-like necroses. 4. The endocrine-kidney syndrome, both in its appearance and in its response to pituitary and adrenal influence, is identical with the cardiovascular manifestations of an overdosage of mineralocorticoids.