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In this experimental study the influence of glycocorticosteroids on the course of infection and prognosis in 75 rats with diffuse peritonitis was examined. We focused on the relation between doses, moment of pharmacotherapy introduction and the course of disease. To achieve this we estimated the dexamethasone doses and moment of its introduction on C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF-alpha and its soluble type I--p55 and type II--p75 receptors' concentrations in examined animals' serum. A diffuse peritonitis was elicited in study animals by means of cecum ligation and perforation (CLP). Cytokine concentrations were estimated with ELISA test. In group 1 (test) no steroids were given. In group 2 20 mg/kg b.m., and in group 3 100 mg/kg b.m. dexamethasone was given 2 hrs before CLP. In group 4 dexamethasone was used in the dose of 20 mg/kg b.m., and in group 3--of 100 mg/kg b.m. 8 hrs after CLP. The results of this study show that glycocorticosteroids administered during the initial phase of experimental diffuse peritonitis display favorable action decreasing animal mortality rate regardless of the dose. However, glycocorticosteroids given in the developed septic syndrome decrease the pro-inflammatory cytokine serum concentration regardless of the dose, still not affecting the animal mortality rate.