CONSTITUTIONAL FACTORS IN RESISTANCE TO INFECTION .1. THE EFFECT OF ESTROGEN AND CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN ON THE COURSE OF TUBERCULOSIS IN HIGHLY INBRED RABBITS

Abstract

I. Using female litter mates of inbred strains of rabbits for comparing the development of tuberculosis in normal animals and those subjected to treatment with female hormones, the authors found that estrogen greatly diminished the tuberculous infection, both in respect to the cutaneous lesion of inoculation, and to the spread and extent of lesions in lymph nodes and viscera. This was more marked in older animals, some of which were ovarectomized. Ovarectomy with or without physiologic doses of progesterone or estradiol was without effect. The quantity of estrogen used to produce the diminished tuberculosis was far too great to permit conjecture as to possible significance in spontaneous human infection. Gonadotropin showed less uniform results, possibly because repeated use of human protein material involved formation of antibody to it,[long dash]reducing its effectiveness. Animals showing marked response to gonadotropin, however, usually showed enhanced tuberculosis, larger local lesions, and both larger and more numerous visceral lesions.[long dash]II. Tuberculin sensitivity was reduced by estrogen therapy. There is considerable evidence that this reduction is part of a general depressive effect on inflammatory responses of the rabbits.[long dash]III. Effects of estrogen, gonadotropin and hyaluronidase on various phenomena related to the problem are reported[long dash]rate of multiplication of tubercle bacilli in tissues, spread rates of water and particulate matter in the skin, circulating lymphocytes, vascular permeability, wt. of adrenal glands, antibody formation, and amyloidosis concurrent with tuberculous infection. Estrogen appeared to inhibit amyloid formation but to have no effect on antibody formation. It is concluded that the effects of estrogen are related to reduced permeability of connective tissue, not to the reduced inflammatory responsiveness shown in several ways.