Effect of hydrocortisone on oxidative degradation of hexobarbital and ethylmorphine.

In experiments on albino rats of both sexes it has been established that hydrocortisone applied in a single dose of 50 mg/kg i.p. inhibits hexobarbital oxidase and ethylmorphine-N-demethylase and applied repeatedly in a dose of 10 mg/kg increases the activity of both enzymes. In castrated male rats the enzyme-inhibiting action of the single dose of hydrocortisone is much reduced, while its enzyme-inducing action on repeated application remains the same (the two effects are evaluated by the hexobarbital sleeping time).