Suppression of the Phenomenon of Local Tissue Reactivity by ACTH,Cortisone and Sodium Salicylate

It was recently reported that ACTH is capable of suppressing the phenomenon of local tissue reactivity, when administered intramuscularly 2 hours prior to the provocative injection of meningococcus culture filtrate ( 1 ). The experiments embodied in the following paper serve to extend these observations.

Experimental. Substances failing to inhibit or modify the phenomenon of local tissue reactivity to bacterial filtrates. The interpretation of the results of the present studies is facilitated by considering the failure of a variety of substances to inhibit or modify the phenomenon of local tissue reactivity.

In published( 2 ) and unpublished experiments by one of the authors (G.S.), the substances employed were administered repeatedly by various routes. The substances which failed to suppress the phenomenon were acetylcholine, adenosine-5-phosphoric acid, alypin, antiplatelet serum, amino acids in various combinations, ascorbic acid, atropine; benadryl, biotin, calcium chloride, calcium gluconate, casein hydrolysate, choline, cocaine, congo red, curare, DCA, dicumarol, distilled water, estradiol, ether general anesthesia, folic acid, glucose, heparin, hesperidin, histaminase, histamine, india ink, inositol, lemon “citrin,” milk, Niagara sky blue, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, paraminobenzoic acid, physostigmine hydrochloride, pilocarpine, progesterone, pyribenzamine? pyridin (in doses reducing significantly the blood platelet count), pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, pyridoxine, rat liver extract, rat spleen extract, riboflavin, sodium oxalate, sulfadiazine, sulfanilamide, sulfathiazole, thiamine, a-toco-pheroi, trypan blue, trypsin, urethane, vitamin K (water soluble and oil soluble preparations), wheat germ oil, and yeast extract. Becker( 3 ) showed that BAL, mapharsen, partial exsanguination and thyroidectomy failed to inhibit the phenomenon, while Smith and Humphrey observed no effect with anthi-san( 4 ).

Substances capable of suppressing the phenomenon of local tissue reactivity. The bacterial preparations used for the preparatory and provocative injections wrere meningococcus, 44B, “agar washings'” filtrates(2). Rabbits were prepared by a single intradermal injection of 0.25 ml of the filtrate diluted 1 : 2 and injected intravenously 24 hours later with 125 to 150 multiples of the minimal provocative dose.