Diabetic state with lipaemia and hydropic changes in the pancreas produced in rabbits by cortisone.

Abstract

During the course of an experiment under taken with the purpose of observing the effect of Cortisone on the tissue lesions produced by foreign serum proteins in rabbits living in a cold environment, a marked alteration of carbohydrate metabolism which resembled a diabetic state and abnormalities of the Islets of Langerhans were observed. These were accompanied by a profound effect on lipid metabolism. Since these changes did not occur in control animals kept under the same conditions but not given Cortisone, the abnormalities are attributable to the Cortisone. So far as we are aware, the occurrence of lipaemia and lesions of the islets have not heretofore been reported as resulting from the treatment of animals with Cortisone, although McLean(1) has observed the occurrence of visible lipaemia in rabbits treated with Cortisone and horse serum. After a suitable period of observation during which time it was established that the animals did not manifest a significant glycosuria, albuminuria, elevation of the blood sugar or visible lipaemia, 2 rabbits were treated with 2 intramuscular injections of 10 mg of Cortisone acetate (Merck) each day. On the third day of treatment with Cortisone, the animals were placed in a cold room in which the temperature varied between 8 and 30°F, remaining near the lower limit for most of the day. On the sixth day, each animal received an intravenous injection of 10 ml of normal horse serum per kilo of body weight. One animal (K-33) died on the 12th day and the other (K-37) was killed on the 22nd day after the commencement of the Cortisone treatment. Pairs of controls receiving no treatment or intravenous horse serum only, were kept in the cold room at the same time.