Mechanism of Protective Effect of Hydrocortisone in Staphylococci Infected Adrenalectomized Mice.

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Abstract
A strain of Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus that produced rapidly fatal infections in intact mice when introduced intraperitoneally was found to be relatively innocuous if injected intravenously. The increased tolerance of the mice to the intravenous challenge was found to be related to the rapid clearance of the bacteria from the blood by the reticulo-endo-thelium (RE) system, whereas the intraperitoneal inoculum overwhelmed the local response and produced a progressive and fatal systemic invasion of the host. Adrenalectomy, however, markedly reduced the resistance to an intravenous challenge without altering the rates of clearance or destruction of the bacteria by the RE system. It was postulated that digestion of the bacteria by the RE system liberated bacterial material which was noxious to the adrenalectomized mouse. "Solubili-zation" of the bacterial preparation increased its toxicity as compared to control viable or heat-sterilized preparations, indicating the independence of this toxicity to numbers of viable bacteria. Pre-treatment of adrenalectomized mice with minute amounts of hydrocortisone was found to be protective, relevant to dosage, against intravenous challenge with either viable staphylococci or extracts of this organism.

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