ABSTRACT
Steroid treatment and prevention were tried in human and animal AA amyloidosis, but with limited success and with conflicting results. This chapter aims to determine whether hydrocortisone (HC) inhibits amyloidogenesis in a mouse model. HC was administered intraperitoneally, in a daily mean amount of about 10mg/50g body weight, in 0.5ml saline, either in a single dose or in divided doses. Control animals, of the same strain and age group, received the same amyloid induction protocol, but with 0.5ml saline alone, without HC. Grading of amyloid in the spleens was performed using the Crush and Smear technique, with a 5 grade scale. HC was found to suppress the second phase of amyloidogenesis. HC was found to have a suppressive effect on the second stage of amyloidogenesis. It was effective even in a single daily administration. These findings support its use in clinical settings.
