Effect of Cortisone on Tissue Cultures

Abstract

Fibroblasts or epithelial cells grown in tissue culture from chick embryos were unaffected by the presence of cortisone in concn. comparable to 25 times greater than the normal therapeutic level. Some early exhaustion of the developing cells was apparent when much larger amts. of cortisone were used, but in these instances the ionic balance of the culture medium was greatly disturbed. The addition of fowl plasma containing cortisone or of patients'' serum under cortisone therapy did not cause any inhibition of tissue growth. This suggests that no intermediate inhibitor is elaborated or released into the blood stream by cortisone.