[Effect of high dosis of D-penicillamine and paramethasone on mechanical properties of rat connective tissue (author's transl)].

Male albino rats are treated with high doses of D-penicillamine (2000 mg/kg/day orally), paramethasone (50 mu-g/kg/day orally), and with a combination of equal doses of D-penicillamine and paramethasone for a period of 4 weeks. At the end of treatment the mechanical properties of dorsal skin and aorta of the experimental animals are determined. 4 weeks of treatment with D-penicillamine or paramethasone, respectively, leads to a decrease in the skin thickness of the experimental animals. With simultaneous administration of both substances the decrease in skin thickness is about the same. Load resulting in rupture is considerably reduced by D-penicillamine, while only a slight decrease is seen with paramethasone. Simultaneous administration of both substances results in considerable decrease in load resulting in rupture, similar to the effect produced by D-penicillamine. Tensile strength which is not influenced by paramethasone treatment, decreases after treatment with D-penicillamine as well as after simultaneous administration of D-penicillamin and paramethasone. Load resulting in rupture of the aorta remains uninfluenced under the experimental conditions. Comparison of the groups shows that simultaneous administration of D-penicillamine and paramethasone leads to the same results as those which may be obtained with sole administration of D-penicillamine. This suggests that the effect of D-penicillamine on the mechanical properties of the rat skin is not influenced by an additional high dose of paramethasone under the experimental conditions chosen.