ON THE PROTECTIVE ACTION OF TESTOSTERONE AGAINST THE KIDNEY DAMAGING EFFECT OF SUBLIMATE

¹ From the Department of Anatomy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Experiments in the mouse indicate that resistance against sublimate poisoning is greatly increased by testosterone. The degenerative changes which usually develop in the kidneys under the influence of sublimate intoxication are not observed in mice receiving testosterone in addition to such doses of sublimate which produce marked renal damage in otherwise untreated controls.

It is concluded that treatment with testosterone does not merely increase resistance to sublimate because it enlarges the kidney and thus stimulates the compensatory hyperactivity of undamaged areas but it actually protects the tubular cells against the damaging action of sublimate. The possible clinical significance of this protective action of the hormone is considered since, if the human being reacts in a similar manner, treatment with androgens may prove efficient in patients suffering from tubular damage.

As an incidental observation, it is noted that the liver changes caused by sublimate are likewise prevented by testosterone.

The expenses of this investigation were defrayed through a grant in aid received from the Schering Corporation of Bloomfield, N. J. The author is especially indebted to Drs. G. Stragnell and E. Schwenk of the above Corporation for the testosterone used in these experiments and to Messrs. K. Nielsen, H. Torunski and C. Rasmussen of this Department for technical assistance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Selye Mercury Poisoning: Prevention by Spironolactone Science, August 21, 1970; 169(3947): 775 - 776. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. E. GUSTAFSON, S. KOLETSKY, and A. H. FREE EFFECT OF SODIUM CITRATE ON URANIUM POISONING IN DOGS Arch Intern Med, December 1, 1944; 74(6): 416 - 423. [Abstract] [PDF]