Effectiveness of the aldosterone-sodium and -potassium feedback control system

This study was conducted to determine the quantitative importance of the aldosterone feedback mechanism in controlling each one of three major factors that have often been associated with aldosterone, namely, extracellular fluid sodium concentration, extracellular fluid potassium concentration, and extracellular fluid volume. To do this, the ability of the body to control these three factors in the face of marked changes in daily sodium or potassium intake was studied under two conditions: 1) in the normal dog, and 2) in the dog in which the aldosterone feedback mechanism was prevented from functioning by removing the adrenal glands and then providing a continuous fixed level of supportive aldosterone and glucocorticoids during the low and high electrolyte intake periods. Under these conditions, removal of feedback control of aldosterone secretion decreased the effectiveness of plasma potassium control by nearly fivefold (39% vs. 8% change in plasma potassium concentration), fluid volume by sixfold (12% vs. 2% change in sodium space) and had no effect on control of plasma sodium concentration (2% change with and without feedback control of aldosterone secretion.)