Effects of Administering Large Doses of Cortisone Acetate to Normal Rats

Abstract

Normal male rats of approx. 300 g. initial wt. were force-fed either a high fat, low carbohydrate or a medium carbohydrate diet. One series of 22 rats received control injns. of saline only. Cortisone acetate was admd. in doses of 5 mg. daily to 6 rats on the high fat diet; 5 mg. daily to 12 rats on the medium carbohydrate diet; 10 mg. daily to 10 rats on the high fat diet; 15 mg. daily to 4 rats on the high fat diet; and 20 mg. daily to 4 rats on the high fat diet. Injns. were continued until the animal died or for 21 days. Although 5 mg. of cortisone daily failed to cause glycosuria in rats on the high fat diet, all higher doses induced a temporary glycosuria with acetonuria. Five mg. daily of cortisone acetate caused glycosuria without acetonuria in 10 rats on the medium carbohydrate diet. During the admn. of the hormone, 15 rats died, 9 rats developed generalized infections, 21 rats had visible renal pathology, 6 rats had visible cardiac pathology, 21 rats had ulcers in the pyloric portion of the stomach, and 5 rats had visible lipemia and fatty livers. The incidence and severity of pathologic changes were related to the size of cortisone dosage.