Effect of Adrenal Cortex Extract on Maxillary Sinusitis in the Rabbit

Abstract

Several investigators, , have demonstrated that adrenalectomized animals showed a decreased resistance to infection and bacterial toxins. Blanchard found that the opsonic power of the serum of adrenalectomized cats is greatly decreased. Phagocytic activity is reduced approximately 50% during the later stages of adrenal insufficiency. Sufficient work has been presented to show clearly the effectiveness of adrenal cortex extract in protecting against bacterial intoxication. Scott and Bradford and Hartman and Scott showed that adrenal cortex extract decreased the susceptibility of adrenalectomized rats to killed bacteria. Whitehead and Smith indicate that cortical extract exerts some power in increasing the resistance of the human body to bacterial intoxication. Experiments reported here show that this extract causes infection of the maxillary sinus of rabbits to subside. A series of 19 rabbits were given maxillary sinus irrigations with 0.5% solution of sodium alizarin sulphonate every 48 hours for 10 days. Sinusitis, as evidenced by purulent nasal discharge, developed within 10 days following the last irrigation. Three intramuscular injections of adrenal cortex extract made by Dr. R. L. Zwemer were given over a period of one week. The dosage used was 0.5 cc. per kilo body weight. The maxillary sinuses examined grossly and histologically at this time showed no evidence of infection. In the control rabbits which received the same number of irrigations but no cortex extract, the sinuses were filled with pus and the mucous membrane was infiltrated with leucocytes. Both total and differential white blood cell counts made on normal and experimental rabbits at the same hour of the day varied from day to day. Taking this day to day variation into consideration, adrenal cortex extract produced no change in the total or differential count.