THE COMPARATIVE ACTIVITY OF DESOXYCORTICOSTERONE AND OTHER CRYSTALLINE DERIVATIVES AND OF PURIFIED EXTRACTS OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX

¹ Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, The Johns Hopkins University

1. Synthetic desoxycorticosterone acetate manifests an activity of one rat unit per milligram when assayed on the immature adrenalectomized rat. The use of this substance as a standard reference substance for the assay of adrenal cortical extracts is suggested.

2. Desocycorticosterone acetate is effective when administered orally and this method for its therapeutic administration is, therefore, advocated.

3. A simple procedure is described for preparing a potent adrenal cortical extract.

4. A crystalline steroid has been isolated from adrenal cortical extracts, the comparatively high potency of which suggests it to be the adrenal cortical hormone.

5. Corticosterone is comparatively inactive as compared to desoxycorticosterone or even crude concentrates of adrenal extracts in comparable doses.

6. A number of other crystalline derivatives isolated from adrenal extracts were found to be inactive.