Detection and comparative evaluation of aldosterone antagonists in glucocorticoid-treated, adrenalectomized rats

An improved method for the evaluation of aldosterone antagonists in adrenalectomized, glucocorticoid-treated rats is described. The method involved assessing the pharmacological effects of spironolactone and potassium canrenoate and comparing them with the action of prorenone and potassium prorenoate, respectively. Adrenalectomized rats were pretreated with fluocortolone caproate (10 mg/kg s.c.), a long-acting glucocorticoid, immediately after surgery. Fluocortolone (1.25 mg/kg s.c.), a short acting preparation, was administered 4 days after this treatment. On the 5th day after adrenalectomy, the actual diuresis experiment was performed. The rats received a continuous i.v. infusion of aldosterone [1 microgram/(kg x h)] for 10, 15 or 20 h. Spirnolactone or prorenone (6.7, 13.4 or 26.8 mg/kg of each steroid) were administered in single oral doses 1 h before or 4 h after the start of the i.v. infusion. Potassium canrenoate and potassium prorenoate (1.9, 3.8, or 6.7 mg/(kg x h) of each compound) were infused intravenously over 10 or 15 h. Urine was collected in 1 h fractions and the anti-aldosterone activity was assessed by the ability of the compounds to reverse the aldosterone effect on the Na/K ratio. The anti-aldosterone activity of the steroids studies was clearly detectable with the method described. Prorenone was as potent as spironolactone and potassium prorenoate was on the average 3.9 times as potent as potassium canrenoate. The method appears suitable for the characterization of the time course and duration of anti-aldosterone activity and for the calculation of relative potencies in comparison to standard compounds.