STEROIDS AND GROWTH 393 



In contrast to the androgens, the administration oi estrogen does 

 not affect the epiphyses of hypophysectomized rats (Kibrick et ah, 

 1942; Geschwind and Li, 1955). Estradiol will, however, significantly 

 depress the response to a standard dose of growth hormone in hypo- 

 physectomized rats (Table III ). In such studies, large doses of estrogen 



TABLE III 



Effect of Estradiol Benzoate on Response to Growth Hormone' 



Daily Tibial Epiphyseal Growth 

 Dose, Cartilage Plate Hormone 



Treatment mg. Width, Microns Equiv. (y) 



Estradiol benzoate 0.5 L58 



Growth hormone 0.015 236 52 



Combination 219 26 



" Geschwind and Li, 1955. 



are required to inhibit the grow th-hownone response. Small doses are 

 without eflfect. These authors also studied progesterone, finding that 1 

 mg. per day slightly increased the cartilage width of the control groups 

 but did not affect the response to growth hormones. 



Estrogens in growth problems. Estrogens may be employed in the 

 treatment of infantilism arising from primary ovarian deficiency and of 

 pituitary infantilism. Usually stilbestrol is employed in doses of 0.5 to 

 1.0 mg. per da\' in attempting to increase the stature. However, de- 

 pending upon the bone age, epiphyseal closure may be stimulated. In 

 pituitary infantilism, combined estrogen-androgen therapy has been 

 employed. Estrogens have been used in the treatment of pituitary 

 gigantism in the female; although experience in this area is minimal, 

 epiphyseal closure appears to occur in association with such therapy. 



Linear growth: steroids of the adrenal cortex 



Steroids produced. The adrenal cortex secretes corticosteroids, an- 

 drogens, and estrogens. The production of the latter two groups of 

 steroids in the prepuberal subject has been discussed above under 

 their respective headings, and the present section will be concerned 

 with a brief discussion of the corticosteroids. The corticoids proper 

 may be divided on the basis of chemical structure and physiologic ac- 

 tion into two groups: (a) steroids with an oxygen at position 11, sucli 

 as cortisone and hydrocortisone, and (b) steroids without an 11 oxy- 

 gen, such as desoxycorticosterone. 



The urinary output of 11, 17-oxycorticosteroids, as measured by 



