The administration of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and of cortisone was found to result in a reduction in the concentration of antipneumococcal antibody in the circulation of rabbits. This reduction occurred both when the hormones were administered at the beginning of immunization and after immunization was well advanced. Marked atrophic changes in lymphoid tissue and a diminution in the number of various types of mononuclear cells followed upon the hormone administration. The possible bearing of these observations on theories concerning the sites of antibody production is discussed.

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The administration of cortisone or adrenocurticotrophic hormone (ACTH) during immunization results in low levels of circulating antibody( 1-5). After immunization has been established, injection of these hormones may he followed within 6 hours( 1,4) to 3 days(3) by a diminution of circulating antibody. The low serum antibody levels might have resulted from an increased rate of degradation of antibody protein, from inhibition of synthesis of antibody or from both of these factors. I t was the purpose of the present study to determine whether or not there is an increased rate of disappearance of passively administered antibody from the circulation of cortisone-treated animals.Methods. Antibody globulin. A pool of 650 cc of rabbit serum contained 1,069 mg of antipneumococcus antibody nitrogen to pneumococcus types 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 22, and 23 as measured by quantitative agglutination method of Heidelberger and Kabat ( 8 ) . A4ntibody globulin was concentrated by precipitation with half saturated sodium sulfate (6,7). The precipitate was separated, washed once with one-half saturated sodium sulfate, recentrifuged and then dissolved in distilled water to make a ltotal volume of 160 cc. The