Effect of Methyl Testosterone on Urinary 17-Ketosteroids of Adrenal Origin 123

Abstract

Urinary 17-ketosteroids or their precursors are thought to arise from the adrenal cortices and the testes (1). Testosterone propionate is partially excreted as a 17-ketosteroid (2); on the other hand, 17-methyl testosterone is not excreted as such (3 to. 5). It follows that methyl testosterone in contradistinction to testosterone propionate, may be used to study the effect of a testosterone compound on the endogenous production of urinary 17-ketosteroids. The present paper is primarily concerned with the effect of methyl testosterone on the urinary 17-ketosteroids of adrenal origin.It is essential that such studies be carried out on individuals without functioning testicular tissue, since it is highly probable from animal experiments that testosterone inhibits its own endogenous production in the testis (6 to 8). It is difficult to obtain direct data in humans on the effect of testosterone on the urinary 17-ketosteroids of testicular origin. Thus, whereas the administration of methyl testosterone to a male without disease of the adrenals and testes induced a lowered 17-ketosteroid excretion (Figure 1), the entire effect may have been mediated through

Studies on the Combined Use of Measurements of Sweat Electrolyte Composition and Rate of Sweating as an Index of Adrenal Cortical Activity 1

“…Values for the concentration of chloride bear a closely predictable direct relation to those of sodium and an approximate, inverse relation to those of potassium in (11,12). Methyl testosterone also can inhibit 11-17-oxycorticosteroid excretion (13).…”

“…Twenty-three of the 35 specimens were collected from subjects who were not receiving hormonal treatment; the remaining 12 specimens were collected from subjects being treated with D.C.A. Seven specimens were collected from a subject whose daily diet contained a great excess of sodium over chloride (220 mEq Na, 12 …”

Effect of an Anabolic Steroid (Methandienone) on Pituitary-Adrenal Function in the Human

“…Several anabolic steroids have been shown to induce changes in adrenocortical function, at least as shown by alterations in steroid excretion during their administra¬ tion. Thus, testosterone (Albright, Parson & Bloomberg, 1941), methyltestosterone (Reifenstein, Forbes, Albright, Donaldson & Carroll, 1945), 17a-methyl-19-nortesto¬ sterone (Huis in't Veld, Louwerens & Van der Spek, 1960;Feldman & Carter, 1960Vermeulen & Ferin, 1962, and 17oc-ethyl-19-nortestosterone (Brooks & Prunty, 1957Brendler & Winkler, 1959Castren, Kalhomaki, Pekkarinen, Soiva & Viikari, 1960 Muller, Vallotton & Manning, 1960) all lower urinary steroid excretion.…”

Effect of an Anabolic Steroid (Methandienone) on the Metabolism of Cortisol in the Human

“…Thus testosterone and its esters, which are not hepatotoxic (Foss & Simpson, 1959), lower urinary corticoid excretion (Venning & Browne, 1947;Bartter, Forbes, Jefferies, Carroll & Albright, 1949) and inhibit the normal rise in 17-OHCS caused by surgical stress but not that caused by ACTH (Gemzell & Notter, 1956). Methyltestosterone also has been shown to decrease urinary steroid excretion (Reifenstein, Forbes, Albright, Donaldson & Carroll, 1945;Venning & Browne, 1947;Bartter et al 1949) but, although this drug is known to affect hepatic function and occasionally causes jaundice (Foss & Simpson, 1959), it does not prolong the half-hfe of infused cortisol (Marks, Benjamin, Duncan & O'Sullivan, 1961). The finding that methandienone reduced urinary steroid excretion while lowering the plasma levels of cortisol and corticosterone in two patients with Cushing's syndrome in the present study is 219 difficult to explain on a hepatic basis and was considered to indicate a direct hypo¬ thalamic or pituitary inhibitory effect.…”