Abstract
The present experiments were undertaken to determine the antigenicity and other toxicities of HBP ; such as phototoxicity, photosensitivity, ulcerogenicity, androgenic-myotropic, estrogenic and progestational activities, and mutagenicity. No antibody formation and delayed type skin reaction of HBP were seen in rabbits. Active systemic anaphylaxis was not observed in guinea pigs challenged by HBP. In the phototoxicity and photosensitivity test, 0.1% HBP ointment, 0.1% HBP cream and 10% HBP acetone solution did not show any skin reaction with or without irradiation of ultraviolet light. Repeated subcutaneous administrations of HBP irritated the gastric and intestinal mucosa dose dependently in rats as hydrocortisone 17-butyrate and betamethasone 17-valerate (BV). HBP had netiher androgenic-myotropic nor estrogenic activity, but antiestrogenic activity was observed. The progestational activity of HBP in immature rabbit pretreated with estrone was less potent than BV. In the mutagenicity test of HBP investigated by the reverse mutation according to the method by Ames, no significant increase in the number of revertants was observed in the presence or absence of S9 mixture.
