THE EFFECTS OF SEVERAL VARIETIES OF STRESS ON THE CHOLESTEROL CONTENT OF THE ADRENAL GLANDS AND OF THE SERUM OF RATS¹

Abstract

THE CONCEPT of adrenal cortical stimulation as a consequence of non-specific stress was introduced by Selye (1937) as part of his ‘alarm reaction’ hypothesis. More recently, Sayers et al. (1944) have formulated a supplementary hypothesis relating the secretory rate of the adrenal cortex to the cholesterol content of the gland. This relationship was adduced from the finding that a single injection of purified adrenotrophic hormone into rats causes a significant decrease in the adrenal cholesterol concentration. The loss of cholesterol was interpreted as being due to an increased rate of conversion of this substance into the active cortical steroids as a consequence of the adrenal stimulation by the administered adrenotrophic hormone. To support their hypothesis, the Yale group (Sayers et al., 1944) have cited many reports in the literature which show that application of unusual stresses of many varieties cause a decrease in the ‘cholesterol’ concentration of the adrenal cortex.