SENSITIZATION BY CHLORIDE DEFICIENCY TO CORTICOID-INDUCED CARDIAC NECROSES

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of variations in dietary chloride intake upon the cardiotoxic effect of fluorocortisol and/or certain Na-salts were studied. It was observed that overdosage with fluorocortisol, NaHCO3, Na-citrate, Na-glutamate or Na-succinate is well tolerated by rats kept on synthetic diets. However, combined administration of fluorocortisol and the same Na-salts produces massive and sometimes fatal myocardial necroses when the chloride content of the diet is lowered from a basic 0.953 % to 0.035 %. It appears that chloride deficiency selectively sensitizes the heart muscle to this potentially cardiotoxic electrolyte-steroid interaction.