Relative Biological Activity of Some Adrenal Cortical Steroids as Determined by Eosinopenic Test.

Abstract

The eosinopenia test of Speirs and Meyer for determining small amts. of adrenal cortical steroids was found to yield dependable results. A series of corticoids examined for their eosinopenic effect had the following order of activity: Compound E and equally-active Compound F were most efficacious in reducing the number of circulating eosinophils. Compound E aldehyde was less active, while Kendall''s Compound A acetate, Kendall''s Compound B and E tricarballylate were still less potent. Reichstein''s Substance S had no eosinopenic activity even though it was administered in larger amts. than the other compounds. Except for Substance S, the other corticoids tested showed a significant positive regression of percent fall of circulating eosinophils on the logarithm of the administered dose within the limits of the dosages tested. The slopes of the linear regressions of these corticoids were also more or less similar.