Experimental Studies on the Development of Gastric Ulcer Following Adrenalectomy and Hypophysectomy in Rat

I. Serum Electrolytes and Blood Glucose in the Development of Gastric Ulcer Following Adrenalectomy Bilateral adrenalectomy in rats caused increase in potassium and decrease in sodium in serum and also decrease in blood glucose level, and resulted in development of ulcer on the gastric mucous membrane. When the above unbalance was corrected with either the oral administration of 1% sodium chloride solution or intramuscular administration of cortisone (0.05 to 0.1 mg., per 100 gm. of body weight, per day), the development of the ulcer was prevented. However, administration of higher dose of cortisone alone (5 mg. per day, per rat) did not prevent the ulcer formation, resulting in hypernatremia, hypopotassemia and hyperglycemia. The prevention was obtained by additional oral administration of 1% potassium chloride solution. In summary, these results are highly indicative of the presence of some direct or indirect relationship between the unbalanced serum electrolytes and blood glucose level due to adrenal deficiency and the deterioration in the local resistance of gastric mucosa against the digestive process to develop subsequent ulceration.