Correlations between adrenal weight and heart weight in rats with a cardiac overload.

A significant positive correlation between heart weight and adrenal weight was found in rats with myocardial hypertrophy induced by experimental hyperthyroidism or ligation of the abdominal aorta. The simultaneous administration of digitoxin partly inhibited myocardial hypertrophy after ligation of the abdominal aorta, but not after experimental hyperthyroidism. Digitoxin also inhibited adrenal hypertrophy after ligature of the abdominal aorta but, again, not after experimental hyperthyroidism. The possible existence of an endogenous cardiotropic hormone participating in the development of cardiac hypertrophy from overloading is discussed.