The Levels of Circulating Eosinophils and Their Response to ACTH in Surgery

THE levels of circulating eosinophils are intimately related to the activity of the adrenal cortex. Alarming stimuli, when applied to animals, are followed by a marked fall in the level of circulating eosinophils.1 , 2 Regarding the mechanism of this eosinopenia, it is known that stress leads to the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) by the hypophysis; ACTH in turn stimulates the adrenal cortex, which releases its steroid hormones in large quantities; of these steroids, those with an oxygen atom on the 11 and 17 carbon positions (the so-called "11–17 oxysteroids") produce by a mechanism as yet unknown the fall in eosinophil . . .