Dissecting Aortic Aneurysm in Hamsters Treated with Cortisone Acetate

Abstract

Massive thoracic or abdominal hemorrhage was found in 51 of 77 hamsters treated for 26 to 162 days with cortisone acetate. All of these animals bore implants of human fetal tissue. Histological sections of 26 of these hamsters showed dissecting aortic aneurysm in 23 and necrotizing arteritis in 3 animals. Aortas of the other 25 hamsters with gross hemorrhage were not examined histologically. Six non-transplant-bearing hamsters treated with cortisone died with microscopically proved dissecting aortic aneurysm. Hamsters, not treated with cortisone, kept in our laboratory for long periods of time under similar conditions have shown no aortic aneurysms.