Studies on the Development of Inflammatory Lesions : I. Influences of Cortisone and Methylandrostendiol on Experimental Tuberculosis

Abstract

In this paper, the author observed the influences of various steroid hormones on tuberculous lesions as a part of the study in the general tissue reaction. Thirty guinea pigs were infected and then administered with several hormones at the 3rd week after the inoculation. At the various periods (the 5th, the 7th, the 10th and 20th week after the infection), the macroscopic and histological findings of the lesions were investigated. The following results were obtained; by the administration of cortisone or MAD (Methylandrostendiol), the patterns of the tuberculous lesions were greatly modified. Multiplication of fibroblasts and infiltration of lymphocytes were inhibited by the administration of cortisone in this experiment. On the other hand, fibroblastic response and proliferation of epithelioid cells were promoted by the administration of MAD according to its periods. Therfore MAD seems to hasten inflammatory process to the productive type. Due to the administration of MAD, a proliferation of small bile ducts of the tuberculous animals was also observed.