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Summary. Withholding of insulin therapy in alloxan diabetic rats results in a steady increase of plasma eortieosterone, which is associated with a decrease in pt{ and bicarbonate and with an increase in plasma FFA and ketone bodies. Adrenalcetomy prevents the development of ketoacidosis after withholding insulin therapy, whereas stimulation of the adrenal cortex accelerates the development of diabetic ketoacidosis. In insulin deficiency a stress signal produces significantly higher corticosterone levels when compared with normal rats. It is concluded that glueocorticoids are involved in the development of ketoaeidosis in the insulin deficient rat.Key words: Alloxan diabetes, rat, plasma corticosterone, FFA, ketone bodies, ketoacidosis.High plasma cortisol levels are found in severe diabetic ketoacidosis in children [1] and in diabetic coma or preeoma in adults [2,3]. However, in these studies it was not determined whether the increase in plasma cortisol is a consequence of a "metabolic stress" or precedes the severe metabolic disturbances.In this study we have recorded plasma cortieosterone levels and several metabolic parameters during the development of diabetic kctoaeidosis in the rat, produced by withholding insulin therapy from alloxanized rats [4] maintained in good condition by insulin treatment for several weeks. Materials and MethodsMale Sprague-DaMey rats were kept 3--5 per cage, with tap water and a commercial laboratory chow (Altromin| in a quiet room lighted from 6 AM to 6 PM.Three days before experiments animals were caged singly.

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