Effect of Testosterone Propionate on Bone Growth and Skeletal Maturation of Normal and Castrated Male Rats.12

THE ACTION of testosterone propionate consists fundamentally in increasing the growth and development of genital structures in the male, including the accessory sexual characteristics. Aside from this highly specialised effect, it is reasonable to assume that other components of the body may also be influenced. A number of experimental studies in animals and man have been performed with regard to possible measurements of such responses to androgens. Kochakian (I) and Kenyon et al., (2) demonstrated a retention of nitrogen and sodium during testosterone treatment. Hesser and his associates (3) have noted that androgenic treatment produced changes in myotonic dystrophy when associated with eunuchoidism. Rubenstein and Solomon (4, 5) found that 0.05 mg. of testosterone administered daily to growing albino rats led to a “probable” increase in body weight and length, whereas, 1 mg. daily suppressed these same responses in castrate animals to a still greater degree than castration alone.