Mortality and survival times of trichinized mice treated with cortisone acetate

Abstract

Young male mice inoculated per os with 6,400 Trichinella spiralis larvae were subsequently given single intraperitoneal injections of either water, 90% sucrose, or cortisone acetate at two dosage rates, namely, 25 and 2.5 mg/kg body weight. The average survival time of the cortisone treated animals was 42.5 hours for the larger dose and 50.4 hours for the lesser dose. Survival of animals injected with water or sugar averaged 71.8 hours. Similar mice inoculated with 3,200 or 1,600 larvae were injected twice weekly with water or cortisone acetate (25 or 2.5 mg/kg of body weight) for a period of 5 weeks. All mice receiving the higher doses of cortisone perished. Mice treated with water died somewhat more slowly than did the cortisone treated animals and in fewer numbers if inoculated with 1,600 larvae.