Effect of dexamethasone on the development of pneumocystosis in rats.

Dexamethasone proved an active agent in the provocation of experimental Pneumocystis pneumonia in rats. Different treatment regimens were associated with changes in the prepatent period, survival time of the animals, intensity of infection and lung reactions. The findings clearly indicate that opportunistic pneumocystosis tends to occur more frequently when synthetic steroid derivatives are used as substitutes in clinical practice.