Effects of reserpine treatment on the ‘in vitro’ utilization of steroid precursors by rat adrenal preparations

The findings in the present thesis are: 1. That reserpine affects the total body weight of rats as has been reported by other authors in various animal species. 2. That reserpine induced a hypertrophy of the adrena1 gland, and that this hypertrophy was most1y due ta an increase in cortica 1 tissue. 3. That rat adrena1 preparations from reserpine-treated anima1s produced a slight diminution in total uti1ization of progesterone-4- 14C as we11 as in incorporation into corticosterone when values were expressed on an equa1 weight basis. However, no statistica1 ana1ysis cou1d be carried out to ascertain the significance of these findings. 4. That treatment with reserpine induced a significant dimi- 14 nution in thein vitro uti1ization ofcho1esterol-4- C by rat adrena1 homogenates