EFFECT OF PHENYLBUTAZONE (BUTAZOLIDIN) ON EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED OCULAR INFLAMMATION

Abstract

PHENYLBUTAZONE is a synthetic drug recently introduced for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and allied disorders. It has therapeutic effects in some ways similar to cortisone and, like cortisone, induces sodium retention and edema. Since its administration is not accompanied by potassium diuresis, eosinopenia, or increase in ketosteroid excretion, it is considered unlikely that phenylbutazone acts directly or indirectly through the adrenal-pituitary axis.* Woods † has reported that cortisone inhibits the ocular inflammation resulting from the injection of glycerin into the anterior chamber of the rabbit's eye. The study presented here was undertaken to determine whether phenylbutazone can also block this reaction. METHOD A transient chemical iritis was produced by the injection of 0.1 cc. of glycerin into the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye. The eye was first anesthetized with 1% tetracaine hydrochloride and the anterior chamber entered by a 26-gauge needle inserted at the limbus. One-tenth cubic centimeter