EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE ACTIVITY AND TOXICITY OF STILBESTROL

Abstract

Stilbestrol produced a much more pronounced increase in the wt. of the pituitary and adrenal gland in normal and castrated animals than equal doses of theelin. Both substances decreased the number of acidophil and basophil cells of the pituitary, and the gonadotrophic potency of the glands from castrated animals was more markedly decreased in the animals treated with theelin than in those treated with stilbestrol. A drop of the red blood cells and Hb occurred in most rats receiving 1 mg. of stilbestrol 3 times a wk. This was followed by an output of reticulocytes in the surviving animals. The bone marrow did not show any depression of hematopoiesis. In 2 animals which died during treatment severe changes in liver and kidney were present, similar to those previously described in the literature. In surviving animals slight parenchymatous degeneration of the liver, an occasional case of glomerulonephritis and a patchy atrophy of the mucous membrane of the stomach occurred. These changes occurred at dose levels of 0.1 mg. 3 times a wk.