Sustained Hypertension following the Administration of Desoxycorticosterone Acetate

DCA was administered in two separate experiments to rats in amounts sufficient to cause marked elevation of the blood pressure. It was then abruptly withdrawn. Following this treatment, observations of blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, plasma potassium, and plasma volume were carried out for over a year. Approximately one-third of the animals so treated developed a sustained, permanent hypertension after treatment had been stopped. This sustained hypertension is not due to any anatomical fault in the kidney and in that sense is not primarily renal in origin. An hypothesis to explain the findings is presented.