Epinephrine Sensitivity of Blood Vessel Strips from Salt-Fed and Castrated Rats.

Strips were prepared from aortae of rats and their reactivity to epinephrine tested by means of a lever system that recorded shortening of the smooth muscle. A 2% salt diet increased the sensitivity of the vessel to 1-epinephrine in both sexes. Male aortae in all instances had greater sensitivity to epinephrine than those of females under the same conditions. Castration markedly increased the sensitivity to epinephrine in females, especially when the castrates were placed on the salt diet. In contrast, male aortae were not particularly changed by castration.