European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Change oxygen to Hydroxyl group Hydrocortisone Cortail delete two Hydrogen atoms creating double Bond m pred Paolone Meta derm and pred Isone deltas one ch0oh delete Hydroxyl group Fluor Metholine add bet Methyl group Beta methadone uti Cort add Alph Methyl group dexamethasone Depadron add Alpha Fluor group flu Cipolone Synagar add Alph Methyl group  Yedrol drawing shows Only some of the useful cortisone Many other drugs and Trade names modifying the cortisone molecule new drugs can often be created by making simple chemical changes in an existing the cortisone molecule shows in the drawing each number represents the position of a Carbon atom on the cortisone by changing the oxygen 0 at Carbon 11 to the chemical group Hydroxyl chemists created the More effective used in skin by Jane Brody new York times a hormone hailed three decades ago As a miraculous treatment for rheumatoid then quickly discovered to be As dangerous As it was has now found its Way into the Medicine chests of millions of americans As a nonprescription remedy for common skin manufacturers report that the Hydrocortisone lotions and sprays introduced As overt counter products within the last year have already broadened the million Market for drugs derived from cortisone and enabled people to relieve annoying skin irritations too minor to War rant a doctors cortisone is today the Parent of More than a dozen widely used collectively called they Are so named because they belong to a group of chemicals known As steroids that have As their foundation a molecular Structure of four Carbon Cort Soncs Story is an example of How an extremely valuable but hazardous drug can be manipulated Chemi Cally to create even More potent and safer it also illustrates How the euphoria of the 1940s and 1950s Over Miracle drugs has Given Way to today realization that every drug has risks that can sometimes outweigh its despite the problems associated with their the corticosteroids Are believed to have an eve expanding although Many drug companies now emphasize non steroidal drugs that avoid some of cortisone s worst Side the remarkable ability of corticosteroids to re Duce inflammation has kept them the prime treatment for Many serious including severe Fla reps of rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative transplant and certain Eye Dis in they Are a mainstay of used to combat Poison Ivy and other allergic the corticosteroids Are essential drugs in Medicine noted Richard director of the Bureau of drugs at the food and drug the nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs for arthritis Are intended to put steroids out of but while they Are very Good there really closer to a better aspirin than a better theres still no substitute for the the steroid drugs among them Predni Solone and dexamethasone exert their Antii Flamma tory effect by suppressing the cells and such As histamine and released in the inflammatory they also reduce redness and swelling by constricting capillaries and stopping fluid leakage from these tiny blood the body manufactures including from started making cortisone from cholesterol found in of but soon turned to less scarce such As Stigmasterol extracted from soy to one of its original Howard Rheum apologist at the Mayo cortisone is still the most if not the anti inflammatory drug to come Down the everything else is compared to rather than Superior to policy clearly remembers the Day 1948 when he and his associates first administered a Large dose of cortisone to a badly crippled victim of rheumatoid within 24 we knew we had a hot it was like night and policy thirteen such patients in april the Mayo researchers announced to the world their remarkable Success with the though the researchers properly peppered their report with cautions against the world promptly embraced cortisone As a Miracle and tried almost immediately to extend its use to such diverse disorders As rheumatic tuber Eye diseases and morning researchers also speculated on its potential role against heart allergies and various de generative in Many such predictions turned out to be quite in the cure proved worse than the Dis for one As John Rheu Mato Logist at the National Institute of metabolism and digestive pointed cortisone cures it is merely an extremely potent suppressor of for ailments of limited cortisone and its derivatives Are a godsend for but for those afflicted with chronic disorders like rheumatoid the corticosteroids Are very much a mixed the Relief of inflammation and crippling the drugs can provide is and bedridden patients can often return to Decker destruction of the joints continues unrelenting although the patient May feel eve larger doses often Are required to main Tain symptoms return when the drug is stopped and severe Side effects Are Likely to within the first year of cortisone life As a researchers noted that it could cause fluid unwanted a Moo like appearance to the face and mental later research revealed that in suppressing corticosteroids also suppress the body ability to fight they also suppress the natural function of the adrenal gland and increase the loss of resulting in osteoporosis and repeated today the corticosteroids used internally and the More powerful externally applied drugs Are reserved for the treatment of otherwise unbelievable mostly Short term problems or serious Fla reps of chronic in Many patients must be tapered off the drug very slowly to prevent a new flare up and an inability of the adrenal glands to respond to at the same chemists at drug companies have manipulated cortisone like a tinker Delet ing or substituting a piece Here or there to create new and evermore useful As Carl senior scientist for experimental medical research at the Upjohn the first change was to remove the oxygen attached to the Carbon atom at position 11 on the molecule and replace it with a Hydroxyl group a combination of oxygen and Hydro this resulted in which is More effective than cortisone and is in fact the body actual with Hydrocortisone As the chemists then attached a fluorine atom to position producing com pounds 10 times More potent than an other change removing Hydrogen from positions 1 and 2 increased activity the two changes Schlagel result in a drug 20 times More potent than the other changes can produce compounds applicable to different Schlagel for introducing a phosphate group at position 21 makes the Par ent compound More soluble in water and therefore Suita ble for intravenous acetate Esters created at positions 17 and 21 decrease solubility in water and instead increase solubility in making the drug More effective when applied to the the water insoluble drug is also better for injecting into joints and acne cysts where the goal is to keep the drug in the injected area for As Long As years the Schering introduced an in arable corticosteroid to replace the More hazardous Oral drugs used to treat the inhaled drug acts locally in the bronchial tubes and according to Robert president of sch rings pharmaceutical four new corticosteroids have been introduced since changes can also be made in the base in which the new York times drug is As William chief of dermatology at the University of san a corticosteroid in a gel base is absorbed much More rapidly than from an Cream or when the food and drug administration first proposed allowing the nonprescription Sale of weak Hydrocortisone some dermatologists expressed fears of Hazard and loss of Busi but according to Epstein and the drug Agency in the year since Upjohn first marketed overt counter concern has died the overt counter preparations Are not potent enough to get patients into Epstein very Little is absorbed and the conditions there Good for Are not the serious cases that dermatologists want to see overt counter preparations Are to be used Only on the skin for the temporary Relief of irritations and itching due to eczema or including itchy anal and Scalp areas allergic rashes such As Poison Oak or and rashes due to cosmetics and users Are warned not to use the drug for More than a week and to see a doctor if no improvement occurs or if the condition gets a potential Hazard involves the misuse of Hydrocortisone to combat skin conditions caused by infectious since the steroid May encourage the spread of the while Merck and which pioneered in the com Mercial production of is now focusing on nonsteroidal Upjohn chemists Are still seeking new molecular variations that would further expand the Ster Oid for Schlagel corticosteroids Are known to diminish damage to the heart muscle immediately after a heart attack by keeping open surrounding blood but they also delay wound and thus slow the repair of the Upjohn chemists Are therefore trying to tailor a corticosteroid that preserves the Benefit but eliminates the delay in they Are also studying the receptors in cells to which corticosteroids attach themselves As the first step in exerting their our ultimate goal is to rearrange the chemistry of the corticosteroid molecule to make it specific for a certain thus eliminating unwanted effects on other Schlagel theres no question in my he corticosteroids will have a continually fresh and sch rings Hanson anticipates the continued introduction of new particularly for external that Are demonstrably better than the old by Michael Bates associated press the top hand and the kid stood ready for a with people quietly Roy Copper twirled his Lariat into a Small threw the Circle 15 feet and yanked it tight As it settled Over the plastic steer head mounted on a Hay Blair Don Burk stepped twirled an identical Loop and sailed it just As perfectly Over the steer the National finals Rodeo crowd at Oklahoma City hooted and applauded for both but it was Blair Don who stole their they had seen the current world Champion calf in action Many but Blair Don is Only the adulation didst appear to make much of an Impact on the 4foot2 Cowboy carefully collected his rope before the clapping and grins had he coiled it and confidently sauntered out of the he Doest know what pressure glory is already a problem for his Mother so Many people brag on he knows Hes the youngster is the son of Barry a calf Roper who qualified 16 times for the the professional Rodeo cowboys association annual world championship Rodeo in Oklahoma his Moth is a barrel racing like the children of most pro Rodeo Blair Don travels Miles a year with his hopscotch ing from one show to the he and his friends play around horse stalls and in hotel instead of begging to sit in daddy Lap and help drive the they want to ride his horse and use his like Many of his Blair Don expects to begin soon following along his fathers Trail of trophy buckles and Hes so much help to me i  take care of the horses without Burk Hes More than just going along for the Hes working most of the while Mother and son haul the horses to the next daddy sometimes flies and leases horses so he can squeeze in As Many appearances As As happened at the Prairie circuit finals in in Blair Don has his fathers Butch Meyers watching his son rope rope a plastic steers head on a Hay horse saddled and warmed up when the travel delayed Roper arrives just Iri time to mount and ride into the Blair Don thinks Hes grown up and Hes pretty inde his Mother Hes been raised around professional calf ropers and he thinks that All you its not play to he enjoys but Hes probably got a completely different attitude about roping than most kids his while he has Only competed in one Junior where he took fourth in calf the youngster plans to join two associations and begin a heavy Competition schedule in the hell be Riding and roping against prodigies like the offspring of Butch Myers of the current world Champion steer i always wanted a boy named Myers that now was followed by a daughter named Tygh pronounced who is now the most recent contestant born to the Myers family is an 8 after youve named two rope and you cant just name the third one Myers rope and Tygh entered about a dozen rodeos in 1980 and did very they will be Back in Competition this ropes goal is already to go to the National Myers As soon As he could walk he was throwing a Little Cotton wed drive Down the Road and hed rope the gear shift lever with a Little piece of its kind of like its bred in you cant make a kid enjoy anything he Doest really want to but if its Clear through you if he Ever people will you burned him but if he  he had every so that what in going to ill give him every Rodeo kids make arrangements to take their school work along on the Myers taught school for eight years and has been allowed to Tutor her children while they tour with their father in the family motor Rodeo parents brag about How studious their children they emphasize education and remind the kids that most of the top Rodeo contestants today attended Many of them on Rodeo everybody wants to grow up to be like says one orca Rodeo kids Arent any except other children Only dream about being Page 14 the stars and stripes february the stars and stripes Page 15