The Rôle of Sodium Salts and Adrenal Steroids in the Production of Hypokalemic Alkalosis §

The administration of adrenal steroids to animals and human subjects on diets containing sodium but little or no potassium is followed by alterations in cellular composition characterized by a loss of potassium which is partially replaced by sodium and the supervention in the extracellular fluid of a metabolic alkalosis.' The experiments have been performed principally in rats where the sodium salt used has usually been sodium chloride and the adrenal steroid 11-desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). The present study of the influence of adrenal steroids on the electrolyte composition of plasma and skeletal muscle was undertaken for the following purposes: (i) to examine the effects of adrenal steroids during fairly complete sodium deprivation; (ii) to determine the influence of the administration of different sodium salts; and (iii) to compare the effect of different adrenal steroids on the pathogenesis of potassium deficiency and alkalosis in the rat.