BIOASSAY OF ADRENAL STEROIDS IN BLOOD AND URINE BASED ON EOSINOPHIL RESPONSE: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

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Abstract
SEVERAL methods, both chemical and biological, for the assay of adrenal steroids in body fluid have been described (Dorfman, 1949; Venning, 1950; Porter and Silber, 1950). There is, however, no satisfactory agreement in the quantitative measurement of the steroids by the different methods; this difference is especially striking between the chemical and biological methods. New and better methods for measuring the physiological activity of the steroid hormones in blood and urine are consequently exceedingly important. The present paper is devoted to discussing an assay method based upon the eosinophil response of adrenalectomized mice, indicating the conditions necessary for satisfactory performance, studying the factors influencing the error of the method, and comparing results with those obtained with other methods. Male mice (C-57 Brown/cdJN strain), weighing 20–22 gms., were adrenalectomized and a pellet of DCA (15 mgms.) was implanted subcutaneously. For the first two days after operation the animals were kept in an incubator at 28° C.