Effect of Crystalline Cortisone Acetate on Growth of Intraocular Transplants of Tooth Germs

Abstract

The intraocular growth of homotransplants of tooth germs was not aided when the host animals received intra-muscular injns. of cortisone. In these instances the initial lymphocytic attack was inhibited, but there was also delay in the formation of connective tissue attachments between the transplants and the irises of the hosts. In addition masses of red cells appeared about the transplants in cortisone-treated animals. This at first gave the impression that vascularization was taking place and furthermore, these transfers appeared to be growing rapidly. After transplants in untreated animals became vascularized their subsequent growth rate soon exceeded that in cortisone-injected animals. Discontinuance of injections in animals receiving cortisone resulted in an overwhelming lymphogenic reaction which greatly retarded the ultimate growth and development of transfers under such conditions. Intraocular growth of transfers seems primarily dependent upon their ability to withstand initial lymphocytic reactions by the hosts. Following this cellular response, certain favorable events followed whereby transplants in untreated animals became vascularized. In cortisone-treated animals, the end results as observed seemed to be derived from a fundamental alteration of hormones or of hormone balance in the host animals.