Effects of cortisone on decrease of serum albumin secondary to experimental infections.

The observation that severe clinical bacterial infections are associated with decreases in total serum albumin levels was confirmed in experiments involving dogs and rats. In rodents, the injection of methylprednisolone sodium succinate after the onst of the infection significantly reduced the decrease in the serum albumin values. However, this protective or corrective effect did not occur if the steroid was given prior to the infection. The effect of cortisone may be due to its capacity to stimulate albumin synthesis by the parenchyma of the liver.