Betamethasone 21-phosphate (sodium salt hydrate)

A synthetic glucocorticoid; prevents increases in macrophage and eosinophil numbers in BALF and decreases blood leukocyte numbers in a guinea pig model of parainfluenza-3 viral infection at 8 mg/kg; inhibits cell infiltration into the aqueous humor in a rat model of endotoxin-induced uveitis when administered topically or subcutaneously at doses of 0.01-1% or 1 mg/kg, respectively; increases maximal lung pressure volume curves in fetal sheep when administered to pregnant ewes at 0.75 gestation at doses of 80 and 170 µg/kg; increases body weight, impairs learning and memory, increases anxiolytic behavior, and reduces hippocampal neurogenesis in CD-1 mice but reduces body weight and increases neurogenesis with no effect on anxiety in high-anxiety DBA/2 mice when administered at a dose of approximately 25 mg/kg per day in the drinking water for seven weeks