Effect of cortisol and age upon the dermal chemical response to dilantin.

Daily administration of sodium biphenyl hydantionate (Dilantin) to rats has been shown to increase markedly the dermal concentration of insoluble collagen and non-collagenous protein (1) as well as to decrease the concentration of both tissue water and fat (2). These effects were produced by ten or more daily doses of 100 mg of drug per kg body weight (3) and were a result of the specific structure of Dilantin, rather than a resultant of hydantoin structure in general (4). This paper describes the inhibition, by age and by cortisol injection of the dermal chemical changes associated with Dilantin administration.