260 J' J' Christian 



likely the reciprocal relationship between ACTH and gonadotropin secre- 

 tion is independent of the adrenal androgens in most species, although the 

 latter possibly may enhance a pre-existing inhibition of the gonadotropins. 

 However, they may be of considerable importance in house mice, rats, and 

 other species which secrete appreciable amounts of adrenal androgens. 

 There undoubtedly are many other factors contributing to intra-uterine 

 mortality which have not been discussed here. In general, however, it is 

 evident that factors increasing pituitary-adrenocortical activity are asso- 

 ciated with increased intra-uterine mortality, although the details of the 

 mechanisms are largely unknown. 



Finally, if the young are born, there may be a failure of lactation due to 

 deficiency in the hormones normally required for the maintenance of 

 adequate lactation (Christian and LeMunyan, 1958). The changes in re- 

 productive function following inanition have been show^n to be due pri- 

 marily to a decrease in the secretion of gonadotropins, as the gonads remain 

 responsive to injected gonadotrophin (Srebnik et al., 1958). Most of these 

 alterations in reproductive function will be discussed in more detail later. 



/. Acute visceral degenerative changes. Acute degenerative changes of the 

 liver, pancreas, and parotid glands have been described as occurring during 

 an alarm reaction to a variety of stimuli (Selye, 1950; Ehrich and Seifter, 

 1948). Selye (1950) states that similar changes also occur during the 

 "exhaustion" phase of adaptation. 



The most constant hepatic changes are pycnosis, cloudy swelling, and 

 stromal edema. Occasionally there is fatty infiltration, severe atrophy, focal 

 necrosis, and leucocytic infiltration. However, many of these changes are 

 duplicated by a variety of specific stimuli and cannot be considered as 

 diagnostic in any sense unless all other possible factors, other than increased 

 pituitary-adrenocortical activity, have been ruled out. 



The salivary glands, especially the parotid, also exhibit degeneration and 

 necrosis of the parenchyma, often with suppurative inflammation, during 

 an alarm reaction (Ehrich and Seifter, 1948). In addition to the zymogen 

 discharge already alluded to, the pancreatic parenchyma may exhibit focal 

 necrosis and inflammation comparable to that seen in the salivary glands 

 (Selye, 1950). The cytoplasmic nucleic acids are markedly decreased 

 during acute adrenocortical stimulation or in response to injected adreno- 

 corticoids, and may precede the degenerative changes. Loss of cytoplasmic 

 basophilia in hepatic cells under the same circumstances reflects the same 

 kind of influence of adrenal steroids on cytoplasmic nucleic acids. 



g. Other effects. In addition to those effects of physiologic adaptation 

 which have been discussed, there are others which stem from a general shift 

 in physiologic functions or as yet have not been related to the activity of 

 any specific hormone. Among these is enlargement of the intervertebral 



