Antagonistic Effects of Cortisone and Growth-Hormone on the Developing Chick Embryo.

Abstract

Single injections of 1 mg/egg of cortisone on the chorio-allantoic membranes of chick embryos produce a striking and specific syndrome: mortality of the embryos is highly increased, growth of surviving embryos is markedly retarded and characteristic developmental modifications are produced; electrolytes and sugar metabolisms are disturbed. Simultaneous administration of Tyrode''s solution containing glucose to such embryos brings about a slight rise in survival rates of embryos. Treatment of cortisone-injected embryos with growth hormone (STH or somatotrophic hormone) results in striking alleviation of most of the cortisone-caused changes. Mortality rate is lowered almost to the level of that occurring spontaneously during incubation. Inhibition of growth and other effects of cortisone are successfully counteracted.