Daily urine output and saline intake were measured up to 5 days after whole-body or intestinal x-irradiation (1460 R) of intact or adrenalectomized rats treated or not with adrenal cortical extract. Saline-drinking caused polydipsia, polyuria, and increased urinary chloride concentration in nonirradiated rats. Irradiation abolished saline-induced polydipsia, caused hypodipsia, and caused "water diuresis" with normal or subnormal urinary chloride concentration on the first day, especially after whole-body irradiation, then progressive oliguria. Adrenalectomy delayed the full development of saline-induced polyuria and polydipsia in nonirradiated rats, enhanced the hypodipsic effect of irradiation on the first day, and reduced the diuretic effect of irradiation on the first day. Treatment with adrenocortical extract partly counteracted the early depressing and later enhancing effects of adrenalectomy on the saline-induced polyuria and polydipsia in nonirradiated rats and had little or no consistent effects on intact nonirradiated rats, on the fluid intake of irradiated rats, or on the urine output after intestinal irradiation, but depressed the diuresis observed in adrenalectomized rats on the first day after whole-body irradiation.

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