Terminal Insufficiency in Adrenalectomized Dogs Maintained for Three Years on Substitution Therapy and the Apparent Absence of Accessory Cortical Tissue in This Species

Accessory adrenal cortical tissue is prevalent in several mammalian species including man. After complete removal of the 2 adrenal glands, this tissue often develops sufficiently to be capable of sustaining life if the animal is maintained for some time postoperatively on substitution therapy and this is later withdrawn. The dog apparently differs from most other mammals in this respect. Sixteen long-term adrenalectomized dogs were sacrificed by withholding therapy and permitting them to succumb to adrenal insufficiency. The animals had been without adrenal cortices for 3 yr and adequately maintained during this interval on corticoids and salt. They had been frequently subjected to bouts of insufficiency, exposure to stress and used as test animals in various experiments, and then revived from prostration, circulatory failure, etc., and restored to health by treatment with glucocorticoids. Terminal insufficiency followed withholding of all treatment within 6–15 days; there were no survivors. Adrenal corti...