SYMPOSIUM ON ENDOCRINOLOGY

Abstract

The physiological needs for adrenal steroids are increased during severe stress. The amounts required to support life and optimal adaptability (eucorticalism) during severe stress may cause signs of hypercorticalism when administered to similar animals under nonstress conditions. Some of the metabolic and morphologic responses to stress have been thought to be caused directly by the increased secretion of steroids by the adrenal cortices. At least some responses to stress occur full-blown in adrenalectomized animals given normalizing doses of cortical hormones, although the response does not become overt in the animal with adrenal insufficiency. This can be regarded as an example of the permissive or supporting role of hormones. An alternative hypothesis is that stress sensitizes tissues to give a greater response to a fixed titer of cortical steroid. Although there are many examples of pathology caused by the administration of an excess of adrenal steroids and of the modification of a disease by adrenal cortical insufficiency or excess, there is no incontrovertible evidence that dysfunction of the adrenal cortices is a primary cause of any of the "adaptation diseases."