EXPERIMENTAL EXOPHTHALMOS PRODUCED BY CORTISONE IN RATS

Abstract

THE OBSERVATION that rats given cortisone for a prolonged period of time became "exophthalmic"¹ prompted several questions. Was it, first of all, justifiable to consider the changed appearance as being due to classical exophthalmos, i. e., the undue protrusion of eyeballs normal in size and shape owing to changes in the retrobulbar tissues of the orbit; or was this appearance caused by a hormonally induced enlargement of the eyeballs, so that the latter no longer could be accommodated by the orbit? The second possibility was not considered likely on anatomical grounds. On the other hand, Jackson² had observed that the eyeballs in chronically undernourished rats continued to grow, although any gain in body weight was prevented by the restriction of food intake. Since the prolonged administration of cortisone produces in rats a state not unlike chronic inanition, it was decided to examine the effect of this hormone on