THE FATE OF CORTISONE-TIN MICE1

Abstract

After admn. of tritium labeled cortisone to mice, by intraperit., intramusc. and intraven. injn., radio-activity was excreted in urine and feces. Recovery of the isotope was essentially quantitative. A greater portion of the total radioactivity excreted was found in the feces after intraperit. and intramusc. injn.; after intraven. injn., the greater portion of the radioactivity was excreted in the urine. No major destruction of the ring system of cortisone occurred during the time intervals studied. At very short time intervals after intraven. admn., appreciable amts. of radioactivity were found through the entire carcass. At longer times this material was found in the liver and after 1 hour most of the radioactivity was present in the urine, feces and gastro-intestinal tract. Evidence was obtained that a portion of the radioactivity was excreted in the bile. There was reabsorption of radioactivity from the intestine and this material was then in part excreted in the urine.