Daily subcutaneous injections of 125–500 μg of testosterone propionate (TP) to castrated male rats one month postoperatively caused a transient increase of 14C-leucine incorporation by pituitary glands into the LH fraction and into a general protein fraction. This increase was observed as early as 24 hr after the first injection, and was most obvious after 3–4 daily injections; however, an inhibitory effect appeared after 6 daily injections. A similar acute effect of TP was also noted in the intact males. Comparable treatment of animals with daily doses of 200–500 μg of an anabolic steroid, 1-methyl-5α-androst-l-en-17β-ol-3-one-17β acetate, failed to affect incorporation into either fraction, indicating that the effect of TP was probably not due to its direct protein anabolic action. On the other hand, daily administration of 1.5–3.0 μg of estradiol-17β benzoate resulted in a similar promotion of incorporation into both fractions, but in this case was accompanied by marked hypertrophy of the anterior pituitary gland. Similarities between the acute effects of these 2 kinds of steroid hormones are discussed. (Endocrinology82: 721, 1968)

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