THE GROWTH DEPRESSING EFFECT OF LARGE DOSES OF TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE IN THE CASTRATE ALBINO RAT

Abstract

Testosterone propionate administered intra-perit. to castrate [male] albino rats in doses of 1 mg. daily (except Sunday) from 22-80 days resulted in a final body wt. and length of 181.1 [plus or minus] 2.7 gm. and 191.5 [plus or minus] 0.94 mm. respectively. These represented an added depression when compared to the final measurements (192.0 [plus or minus] 3.9 gm. and 194.2 [plus or minus] 1.42 mm. respectively) of castrate untreated animals. Litter mate brother (unoperated and untreated) controls showed a final wt. of 217.9 [plus or minus] 3.4 gm. and final body length of 205.0 [plus or minus] 1.2 mm. The added depression observed in the treated castrates is considered to represent the summation of castration effects plus the pituitary depression incident to overdosage with the sex hormones. The added growth depression of large (1 mg.) doses of testosterone propionate stands in contrast to the replacement effect of approx. smaller doses (50 [gamma]) of this same hormone.