THE EFFECT OF ANDROGENIC HORMONES UPON THE ADRENAL ATROPHY PRODUCED BY CORTISONE INJECTIONS AND UPON THE ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTION OF CORTISONE1

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Abstract
ZIZINE, Simpson and Evans (1950) reported that testosterone brought about a significant degree of adrenal repair in hypophysectomized animals. Since cortisone produces adrenal atrophy which resembles in many respects that seen after hypophysectomy, it was of interest to determine whether androgenic hormones would antagonize this effect of cortisone. MATERIAL AND METHODS Young adult male Holtzman rats were used in this study, except for the experiments where hypophysectomized rats were employed; the latter were purchased from the Hormone Assay Laboratories, Inc., Chicago. Steroids were injected in saline suspension subcutaneously, once daily. Some experiments were performed with testosterone propionate, but the androgen employed in most of the study was 17(α)-methyl-Δ5- androstene-3(β)-17(β)-diol (methyl-androstenediol or mestenediol) (M.A.D.). The cytochemical methods used in thisinvestigation have been described elsewhere (Stebbins, 1951a). RESULTS Effect of testosterone in cortisone-treated rats. Table 1 gives the results of experiments in which cortisone was injected daily for a period of 9 days. Although adrenal atroply is not maximal within that period of time