OBSERVATIONS ON THE RELATION OF CHEMICAL STRUCTURE TO THE PRODUCTION OF ADRENAL CORTICAL ATROPHY OR HYPERTROPHY IN THE DOG BY DERIVATIVES OF 2,2-BIS-(p-CHLOROPHENYL)-1,1-DICHLOROETHANE (DDD, TDE)

¹ Departments of Pharmacology and Pathology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

A biochemorphologic study of the compound 2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethane in relation to its ability to produce adrenal cortical atrophy in the dog has shown the following: Both phenyl groups in the molecule are necessary for the production of atrophy, but the paraphenyl substitutions are not. Any change in the number of chlorine substitutions (0, 1 or 3) on the ethane portion of the molecule, substitution of —OH for the —H in the 2-position or desaturation to the ethylene analogue abolishes the ability to produce adrenal cortical atrophy. The latter two compounds gave evidence of production of adrenal cortical hypertrophy and 1,1-p-chlorophenyl ethane produced hyperplasia. In the case of one of the derivatives studied, 2,2-bis(p-ethyl-phenyl)1,1-dichboroethane, it was further shown that administration of cortisone offers some protection against the lethal consequence of the adrenal cortical atrophy produced.