| abstract |
3 beta ,17 beta -androstenediol (" beta AED") and 3 beta ,7 beta ,17 beta -androstenetriol (" beta AET") may be used to counteract the antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effects of hydrocortisone and other corticosteroids (i.e., to act as buffers to counteract the lymphosuppressive response to such steroids). beta AED and beta AET are steroids which mediate immune response to provide the body protection against immune down-regulation. A method for testing analogues of beta AED and beta AET to compare the effectiveness of such analogues as buffers of certain effects of hydrocortisone and other corticosteroids, including immune response and proliferative effects is described. Cytokines, including most particularly IL-3, are produced by addition of beta AET and beta AED and their analogues to the growth media of cell cultures of lymphatic cells. |