ORAL ANABOLIC:ANDROGENIC EVALUATIONS OF FOUR ANABOLIC STEROIDS
ABSTRACT Four steroids of potential clinical interest were evaluated in rats for anabolic activity by means of nitrogen balance studies and myotrophically for their effect on the growth of the levator ani muscle. The increase in the weight of the ventral prostate was used as an index of their androgenicity. Under these conditions the nitrogen retention:androgenic and myotrophic:androgenic dissociation ratios were: 17α-methyl-4-chloro-testosterone 0.65:0.12 = 5.4 and 0.32:0.12 = 2.7; 17α-methyl-androst-5-ene-3,17-diol 0.70:0.62 = 1.1 and 0.46:0.62 = 0.7; 17α-methyl-19-nortestosterone 4.6:1.1 = 4.2 and 5.8:1.1 = 5.3; and 1-methyl-androst-1-enolone acetate 0.06:0.15 = 0.004 and 0.72:0.15 = 4.8, respectively. While the nitrogen retention:androgenic and myotrophic:androgenic ratios, in general, are of the same order, it should be noted that there was a marked discrepancy between the nitrogen retention:androgenic and the myotrophic:androgenic ratios for 1-methyl-androst-1-enolone acetate.