Concentration of adrenocortical hormones in relation to cation homeostasis in birds

The effects of dietary Na+, K+, and Cl- and of acute stress on plasma levels of Na+, K+, aldosterone, and corticosterone were evaluated in vivo in birds. The dietary effects were studied in growing White Rock chicks, whereas the larger turkey was preferred for the acute stress study. Although plasma corticosterone remained unaffected, plasma aldosterone concentration decreased with increasing levels of dietary Na+ reaching a minimum at a dietary level of 72 meq/kg. Plasma Na+ remained unchanged when dietary Na+ levels increased up to 72 meq/kg but then rose with increasing Na+ intake. Plasma K+ was slightly depressed by high levels of dietary Na+ and increased by dietary K+. Neither plasma Na+ nor circulating adrenal hormones were affected by dietary K+ or dietary Cl-. Acute stress stimulated both aldosterone and corticosterone without any effect on the levels of the plasma minerals. The results suggest that of the two main corticoids, only aldosterone responds to dietary Na+ in chicks. This is in contrast to the indiscriminate stimulation of both hormones by stress, indicating different pathways of stimulation. The results also suggest that aldosterone is involved in the regulation of plasma Na+ only at low intakes of Na+ and that dietary K+ and Cl- are not involved in the aldosterone-Na+ feedback relationship.