Respiration of Kidney Slices from Adrenalectomized Rats Treated with Adrenal Cortical Hormones

In view of the fact that there obviously are metabolic and oxidative disturbances in the kidney caused by adrenalectomy, this investigation was attempted in an effort to obtain information concerning the following: (1) Whether the rate of oxygen consumption of rat kidney tissue slices is a function of time; to determine whether the decreased metabolic function occurred immediately upon adrenalectomy or if an initial rise and then a falling off took place, as seemed to be indicated in the work done by Butcher (1943). (2) Whether cortisone or desoxycorticosterone had the ability to alter oxygen consumption of kidney tissue in any way. (3) Whether the kidney from adrenalectomized animals had the capacity to use fructose to the same degree or in the same manner as kidneys from normal rats. (4) To see if stress conditions altered the oxidative processes of the kidney and if so, what reaction cortisone and desoxycorticasterone elicited under these conditions