The first to describe the percutaneous effect of a steroid hormone was probably DE JONGH (1932). He demonstrated that cutaneous application of an oil solution of estrone increased mammary growth in rats. Later JADASSOHN et al. (1937JADASSOHN et al. ( , 1938 developed a method for the assay of estrogenic substances based on the growth of the nipples in guinea pigs after local application. FUSSGANGER (1934) was the first to demonstrate that testosterone applied locally to the cock's comb had a greater effect than when given by injection at the same dose level. Desoxicorticosterone acetate can be absorbed through the skin, as demonstrated by DE FREMERY & SPANHOFF (1939) in rats, and progesterone also is absorbed.Only few investigations have been reported into the percutaneous effect of glucocorticoids, such as cortisone and hydrocortisone, considering the clinical importance of the subject. The studies reported so far have mostly given negative results (DANTO & MADDIN 1952; MCCORRISTON 1954; SMITH 1953) .When the percutaneous effect of cortisone and hydrocortisone is mentioned in the literature, the negative results of SMITH (1953) are usually cited. It should, however, be noted that the tests used by these authors, the eosinopenic response and the level of the 17-ketosteroids in the urine, cannot show the effect of small amounts of hormone. Further, the investigations were carried out with suspensions or with ointments, in which cortisone or hydrocortisone were not dissolved. Only CASTOR & BAKER (1950) used alcoholic solutions, and they suggested that these steroids do penetrate the skin of rats, since their percutaneous application produces profound morphological changes in the connective tissues of the skin. Thus it appeared worth while to study the problem experimentally by another procedure and with cortisone or hydrocortisone not only suspended but also completely dissolved in different solvents. Acta pharmacologica vol. 12. fasc. 2.
9*) The hydrocortisone solutions used in this study were the cortiment @ solutions manufactured by Nordiska Hormonlaboratoriet AB, Malmo.
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