PROLONGED SURVIVAL OF SKIN HOMOGRAFTS IN SYRIAN HAMSTERS TREATED WITH ADRENAL STEROIDS AND ACTH

¹ Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Skin homograft rejection in the Syrian hamster was delayed by i.m. injection of corticosterone, hydrocortisone, cortisone, 6-methyl prednisolone and ACTH, but not by DOCA or 17-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone. The degree to which each regimen was effective was related to its thymolytic potency. Thus the ability of a corticosteroid to suppress homograft rejection is probably a function of its glucocorticoid activity. Graft survival also was increased by topical application of cortisone and hydrocortisone.

The Syrian hamster is one of the most sensitive mammals yet tested with respect to the effect of corticosteroids on homograft rejection. It is possible that this sensitivity is a quence of the reported extremely low level of endogenous hydrocortisone in this species.