ROLE OF HYDROCORTISONE 21-HEMISUCCINATE DURING CARRAGEENAN-INDUCED ACUTE INFLAMMATION

Six-day-old air pouch in mice was used as a bioassay model to study the effects of hydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate on acute inflammation induced by carrageenan. Intravenous injection of hydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate resulted in a significant drop in circulating blood leucocytes, with a parallel decrease in the adhesiveness of these cells. Such observations may account for the significant reduction in the number of exudate leucocytes accumulating at the inflammatory site. A significant elevation in the levels of exudate histamine and PGE2 were also observed. These suggest that both histamine and PGE2 may contribute to the downward regulation of neutrophil infiltration in the inflammatory site without affecting the vascular permeability. Levels of exudate leucocytes, volume, histamine and PGE2 were not significantly different from the control when hydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate was injected directly into the air pouch, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory effects of hydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate is most likely dependent on the route of administration. In vitro incubation of blood leucocytes with histamine produced supernatant that inhibited fluid exudation. The result thus indicates that the action of histamine may be partially mediated by factors released by blood leucocytes.

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• CHIO SIEW LING, JOANNE