Evidence for adrenal insufficiency in acutely stressed captive monkeys

¹ Department of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

A number of postoperative complications in Macaca nemestrina suggested possible adrenal insufficiency secondary to chronic stress. Adrenal function was assessed by use of plasma 17-hydroxycorticoids, total eosinophil counts, and ACTH-response tests. Surgery or anesthesia resulted in a rise in plasma 17-hydroxycorticoids and a fall in total eosinophils in the majority of monkeys, and all of these animals demonstrated at least a 50% decrease in the total eosinophil count 4 hr following the intramuscular administration of ACTH. However, in three monkeys this type of response did not occur following one or both of the tests that were done. These three animals, unlike the others, presented one or more of the following complications during the poststress period: lethargy, failure to eat properly, diarrhea, and diuresis. These findings indicate that the stress of captivity may deplete adrenal reserve and alter normal physiological responses.

Submitted on October 21, 1964