The removal of cartilage matrix in vivo by papain; prevention of recovery with cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisoione by a direct action on cartilage

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The influence of ACTH and cortisol upon skin homografts in the rat

Homografts of skin exchanged between two strains of rat survive for an average of 8·8 days.

Survival time is increased to 14·1 days by the daily administration (beginning on the day following operation) of 4·0 mg cortisol, but 2 i.u. ACTH (Cortrophin 'Z') daily has no effect (survival time = 9·0 days).

If, however, treatment with ACTH is begun 28 days before operation the homografts survive for 17 days (Cortrophin 'Z') and for 11·4 days (Acthar gel).

The normal processes of wound repair are slowed down in proportion to the influence of treatment on the immunity reaction.

The results conform to the view that prolonged treatment with ACTH alters the ratio of cortisol/corticosterone secreted by the adrenal cortex.

The acute effects of cortisone and cortisol upon renal function in man

Renal function has been studied in normal human subjects over some hours after the administration of 250 mg cortisone acetate orally or of 100 mg cortisol intravenously. Increased output of potassium without elevation of plasma concentration, and retention of sodium, were observed regularly both in the course of and without a phosphate infusion. Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow were sometimes markedly elevated, sometimes unaltered. When phosphate was infused in amounts sufficient to saturate tubular reabsorptive capacity, phosphate tubular maximum was often depressed by the hormones, but sometimes unaltered. At normal plasma concentrations the usual relationship between phosphate excretion and plasma concentration or filtered load was undisturbed.

The influence of cortisone and hydrocortisone acetates on the course of mycobacterium lepraemurium infection in rats

Prolonged administration of cortisone acetate or hydrocortisone acetate produces a decrease in the rate of growth of treated rats. In this respect the effect of the latter steroid is the more pronounced. Lepromata in the steroid treated animals are significantly smaller than those in the control rats. This difference is more pronounced with the cortisone acetate treatment. However, whilst there is no appreciable difference in the distribution of organisms in the lepromata, the spread of infection is not increased by the steroid treatment, as the number of animals showing acid fast organisms in the spleen is no greater in the treated groups than in the controls.