Studies on Effects of Cortisone in Experimental Pneumococcal Intradermal Infection of Rabbit Treated with Tetracycline

Abstract

For the study of combined use of adrenal steroid and antibiotics to the experimentally induced infection, single and combined use of Cortisone and Tetracycline were applied in Goodner's intradermal pneumococcal infection of rabbit 2 hours after challenge.
Four grades of quantity of Tc (5-10mg, 25mg, 50mg and 100mg, ) were administered to the separate groups of rabbit.
In regard to the dose of cortisone one of my colleagues had reported previously that the combination of procain penicillin and small dose of cortisone exerted no beneficent synergism upon skin change and bacteremia until 25 mg of cortisone was combined.
Such being the case 25 mg of cortisone was combined with various doses of Tc thereafter empirically.
Resuts were as follows:
1) Small dose: Simultaneous use of Tc 5-25 mg and Cs 25 mg suppressed the local skin change, and on the other hand, an apparent bacteremia was introduced in comparison with the same amount of Tc single use.
2) Moderate dose: Simultaneous use of Tc 50mg and Cs 25mg showed a more apparent suppression of its skin change, while there was an encouraged bacteremia (comparatively weaker than case 1) as compared with single use.
3) Large an sufficient dose: When Tc 100mg and Cs 25 mg used simulaneously, it has been noted that a much more favorable effect on its skin change was found among 3 groups examined and no more bacteremia was seen.
In short, combined use of Cs with even bacteriostatic antibiotics such as Tc gave rise to a marked effect on suppression of both its skin change and bacteremia in the experimental pneumococcal infection of rabbit, just like the findings obtained by bactericidal antibiotics, only when a large and sufficient amount of Tc is used.