Metabolic effects of cloprednol-a new systemic corticosteroid

The short-term metabolic effects of cloprednol, a new short-acting synthetic corticosteroid, were evaluated in four normal subjects. Cloprednol, 12.5 mg/day, in one subject had no appreciable effect on urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, nitrogen, or calcium. Cloprednol, 20 mg/day, in three subjects had no significant effect on mean daily urinary sodium and potassium excretion, although mild, transient sodium retention and kaliuresis were observed. One subject had increased nitrogen excretion and all three had a small increase in calcium excretion. Prednisolone, 40 mg/day, a dose with antiinflammatory potency equivalent to 20 mg/day cloprednol, given subsequently to two subjects under identical conditions resulted in sodium and potassium excretion results similar to those of cloprednol, 20 mg/day, but produced a much greater increase in nitrogen and calcium excretion. These results suggest that, like prednisolone, cloprednol lacks the sodium-retaining properties of hydrocortisone and raise the possibility that cloprednol has less of a deleterious effect on nitrogen and calcium excretion than prednisolone.