Effects of Cortisone, Hyaluronidase, Desoxycorticosterone, and Artisone on Experimental Serum Disease in Rabbits

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Abstract
60 young male albino rabbits weighing between 1760 and 2500 g. received 10 or 15 ml. of normal horse serum without preservative per kg. of body wt. 4 groups of 10 animals each received twice daily by intramusc. injn. cortisone acetate (4 mg.), DCA (desoxycorticosterone acetate) (2.5 mg.), and Artisone acetate (21-acetoxypregnenolone) (5 mg.), and by intraven. injn. hyaluronidase (6000 TRU/kg.). The remaining 20 rabbits served as serum controls. In addition, 3 rabbits received hyaluronidase only, and 8 served as normal controls. On microscopic examination the incidence of arteritis, carditis, and glomerular nephritis was observed to be greater with 15 ml. horse serum/kg, than with 10 ml. Cortisone depressed the Arthus reaction in the skin and completely prevented arteritis and carditis in 8 of 9 rabbits treated with horse serum, although the mortality rate was highest in this group. Glomerular nephritis, on the other hand, was not prevented. The zona fasciculata of the adrenals was atrophied. The liver, kidneys, and heart increased in wt., apparently due to deposition of glycogen. Hyaluronidase depressed the Arthus reaction in the skin and diminished glomerular nephritis, but enhanced arteritis and carditis. This action may be explained by the ability of hyaluronidase to weaken ground substance barriers, thereby diverting antigen and antibody from the kidneys to the general vascular bed. DCA and Artisone in the doses used had no remarkable effect on the histological manifestations of serum disease. However, DCA caused a depression of the Arthus reaction in the skin possibly through its hyaluronidase-like effect upon the ground substance, and the DCA treated rabbits showed a drop in the glycogen content of the liver.