Parotid fluid,' which can be easily collected in continuous fashion, was previously shown to possess free 17-hydrcxycortiensteroid (17-OH-CS) levels which paralleled those in scrum and reached a maximum' two hours after corticotrophin or Cortical administration to normal men. The present study demonstrated that intravenously administered Cortical rapidly appeared in the parotid fluid, and that, thus, parotid fluid 17-OH-CS levels would serve as reliable indicators of adrenal function. This was borne out by studies in a patient with Cushing's syndrome as well as in those showing adrenal hypo responsiveness. Despite the large rise in plasma 17-OH-CS in the third trimester of pregnancy there was only a small, though significant, rise in parotid fluid 17-OH-CS. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that only no protein-bound free 17-OH-CS reach the parotid fluid.
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