Anti-inflammatory steroids without pituitary-adrenal suppression.

When two new steroids, methyl prednisolonate and methyl 20-dihydroprednisolonate, were applied locally their anti-inflammatory activities were nearly equivalent to those of the parent compound prednisolone in the cotton pellet granuloma bioassay. However, when these two derivatives were administered systemically, their anti-inflammatory activities were weaker than those of the parent compound. Furthermore, unlike the parent compound, these new anti-inflammatory steroids did not suppress pituitary-adrenal function or cause liver glycogen depletion in rats.