Comparative Investigations on the Influence of Cortisone and Prednisone (M.S.D.) On the Content of Sodium and Potassium in Sweat
Abstract
I Grenbmk, P.: Acta Rheum. Scand., 2, 170-182, 1956. I From the Department of Physical Medicine (Head: Svend Clemmesen, M.D.) Kommunehospitalet, Copenhagen COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATIONS ON T H E INFLUENCE O F CORTISONE AND PREDNISONE (M.S.D.) ON T H E CONTENT OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM IN SWEAT1 BY PALLE GRBNBEK Preliminary tests on the effect of two new cortisone-like steroids, Prednisone (M.S.D.) and Prednisolone (M.S.D.) have shown that they differ from cortisone in producing less sodium retention a t therapeutic dose levels. Only after prolonged treatment with high doses the same electrolyte changes are seen as in hypercortisonism (sodium retention and loss of potassium). The clinical effect is stated to be 3-5 times as great as that of cortisone or hydro-cortisone (Bunim et al., Margolis et al., Dordick et al.). It was first shown by Conn et al. that the electrolyte concentration produced in thermal sweat under standard conditions is a reliable indication of adrenocortical activity. Numerous investigators have confirmed this, thus G r m b a k , Sprechler and Warming-Larsen have shown that administration of ACTH to normal persons results in a fall of the sodium/potassium ratio in sweat along with an increased excretion of 17-ketosteroids and