THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF METACORTANDRACIN, 9-α-FLU0R0HYDR0C0RTIS0NE AND HYDROCORTISONE UPON ACTH SECRETION IN MAN

WILKINS first reported on the efficacy of cortisone and related compounds in depressing excessive 17-ketosteroid excretion in patients with the adrenogenital syndrome (1–6). These observations were promptly and extensively confirmed by others (7–19). Kupperman et al. suggested that the degree of depression of 17-ketosteroids is quantitatively related to the dose of corticoid employed (16). These investigators demonstrated that the suppressive effect of cortisone upon 17-ketosteroid excretion could be employed experimentally to determine the relative activity of different cortisone derivatives (15). This method also proved to be an effective technic in establishing the relative activity of different steroid combinations other than the corticoids alone in depressing 17-ketosteroid excretion (15). Since the effect of the corticoids upon the 24-hour 17- ketosteroid excretion is actually an indication of their ability to inhibit ACTH secretion, the 17-ketosteroid levels observed after cortisone therapy reflect...