PROTECTIVE ACTION OF CARDIAC GLYCOSIDES AND ADRENAL CORTICAL HORMONE AGAINST THYROXIN

Abstract

THE POSSIBILITY of a relationship between the physiologic activity of the cardiacsteroid-glycosides and those derived from the adrenal cortex was suggested by Zwemer, Lowenstein, and Pines (1). They demonstrated the ability of certain of these glycosides to protect animals against insulin shock and also confirmed a corticaHike effect of strophanthin upon plasma potassium and blood sugar levels previously reported by Ginsburg (2).

On the basis of clinical and experimental findings, a definite degree of antagonism would seem to exist between the thyroid and adrenal cortical hormones (3–15). Clinically, the hyperthyroid patient presents many of the accepted criteria for the administration of drugs of the digitalis series: tachycardia, and varying degrees of failure, with or without fibrillation. We therefore felt that an investigation of possible corticaHike effects of cardiac steroids, in relation to experimentally induced hyperthyroidism, would be in order.