J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 58(4): 552-564, 1957

---

HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE ADRENAL CORTEX IN THE EXPERIMENTAL THYROTOXICOSIS.

It is well known that the various etiological factors causing the postoperative thyroid crisis are quoted, which is frequently seen immediately after thyroidectomy in Graves' disease or thyrotoxicosis, but that its real cause remains still unclear. According to the views of many investigators, the function of adrenal cortex also seems to play an important role in the occurrence of this crisis. Therefore, it is very important in the surgical treatment of these diseases to investigate the function of their adrenal cortex. From this standpoint the adrenal cortex of the experimentally induc d thyrotoxicosis in rabbits was histochemically examined, and both the adrenal weight and the weight per kg. of that of body were measured.
The results obtained were as follows :
1) The adrenal cortex in thyrotoxic rabbits showed the histochemical appearance of the hyperfunction at the early stage, whereas at last it fell into exhaustion, as the thyrotoxic stage continued for a long time. Both the adrenal weight and the weight per kg. of that of body increased also at the first stage and then decreased coinciding with the exhaustion of the adrenal cortex.
2) However, when administration of desicated thyroid substance was discontinued in rabbits before falling into the adrenal exhaustion, it was observed that the disturbance in the tissue of their adrenal cortex was recovered gradually to the nearly normal condition in 8- 12 weeks and the adrenal weight as well as its weight per kg. of that of body was restored to normal range.
3) Furthermore, when some adequate dosis of cortisone or ACTH was administerd with desicated thyroid substance to thyrotoxic rabbits, it was also confirmed by my histochemical studies that the dysfunction of the adrenal cortex in thyrotoxic rabbits was restored respectively rapid in spite of remaining of thyrotoxic symptoms and the adrenal weight as well as its weight per kg. of that of body showed s imultaneously the tendency recovering to the normal range.
From the above results it may be inferred that many cases of Graves' disease or thyrotoxicosis accompany the hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex at the early stage and later the dysfunction at last, if the thyrotoxic symptoms continue for a long time. These cases, however, may recover from the dysfunction of the adrenal cortex by convalescence of thyrotoxic symptoms or even by administration of cortisone or ACTH. Consequently, administration of cortisone or ACTH, especially the former, seems to be quite adequate for the treatment of the postoperative thyroid crisis.
(author's abstract)

---

---

To read the PDF file you will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer.