EXPERIMENTAL ADRENOCORTICAL HEMORRHAGE IN ANTICOAGULATED RATS INDUCED BY STIMULATING ADRENAL CORTEX

Anticoagulation of albino-rats with p-chlorphenylprophyl-oxy-cumarine (0.02 mg/100 g daily for 6 days) induces a hemorrhagic diathesis without adrenal hemorrhage. Stimulation of the adrenal cortex by 0.02 mg/100 g Synacthen® (Ciba) on the 6th experimental day, however, is followed by focal and confluent adrenocortical hemorrhages in 40% of the rats. At this dosage level adrenocortical stimulation without adrenocortical hemorrhages is observed in the normal rat. Hemorrhages occur only after stimulation with 0.03/100 g Synacthen® and with increases in the dosage. The statistical significance (p<0.05) of these experiments demonstrates that in the rat with hemorrhagic diathesis adrenocortical stimulation produces cortical hemorrhage, and that both factors are cumulative. The results suggest adrenocortical stimulation may be important for the pathogenesis of the Waterhouse-Friderichsen-syndrome and for the adrenal hemorrhages observed after anticoagulant therapy in man. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.