Effect of Bilateral Suprarenalectomy on Certain Constituents of the Blood of Dogs.

A study of the changes in the blood of dogs following bilateral suprarenalectomy has been made to attempt to determine what important constituents undergo pathological changes in their concentration. Data have been previously available suggesting pathological changes, but many of the results have been conflicting and no day by day analyses have been made. Accordingly, analyses have been made before operation, after removal of one suprarenal gland, and daily observations after removal of the second gland until death occurred, from 4 to 14 days later. The constituents which have been studied on 15 dogs are: the pH and the CO₂ content of the blood serum, in order to determine whether or not there was a pathological change in the acid-base balance; sugar and lactic acid concentration of the blood serum, in order to determine whether a change in the carbohydrate metabolism had occurred; calcium and potassium concentration of the serum, in order to determine whether these important, related, inorganic cations had changed in their concentration; the serum creatine and creatinine, because of the suspected relation between muscle activity and suprarenal insufficiency; the serum proteins and percentage of erythrocytes in the blood, in order to determine whether concentration of the blood or blood serum occurred.

Briefly, the results of this investigation may be summarized as follows: The bicarbonate of the serum fell progressively from a normal value of 20 mM. per liter to the low value of 9 mM. per liter at death. pH falls but slightly prior to the terminal stages and then becomes as low as 7.1. The blood sugar is usually slightly lower immediately following the removal of the second suprarenal although it has sometimes been found equally low following the removal of one suprarenal.