EFFECTS OF PROLONGED CORTISONE AND OESTRADIOL TREATMENT ON THE CONTENT OF NITROGEN, CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS IN THE BONE OF RATS

Abstract

The cortisone dose was 10 mg and the dose of estradiol dipropionate 0.6 mg every other day. For the mature controls the average N, Ca, and P content was : N 3.8%, Ca 30.4%, and P 9.0% and for the young controls: N 5.1%, Ca 32.8% and P 10.5%. The N content of the young animals, 4.9%, was higher than that of the mature rats, 3.9%. The N content of the bones was not decreased in the cortisone group of adult rats. Only a slight decrease in the N content was observable in the cortisone group of young animals. Cortisone depressed the growth of other tissues more than that of bones. Bones were then found to be brittle and dark in color. No significant changes were produced by either cortisone or estradiol propionate in the N, Ca and P content of bone or bone matrix". In the group of adult animals, the Ca content was increased somewhat after estradiol dipropionate treatment.