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TESTOSTERONE and similar androgens promote the anabolism of proteins. Retention of nitrogen was observed after administration of androgens to gonadectomized animals1,2. Male sex hormones also act directly on the skeleton. They enhance endochondrial ossification3 and increase metaphyseal growth4. They also increase the fusion of osteocartilagenous and bone grafts in rats and accelerate osteogenic reactions in the surrounding tissues5.

IT was recently reported that, when tissue of 1 cm2 area was excised through the full thickness of the pinna of the rabbit's ear, regeneration occurred. Furthermore, the rate of regeneration was significantly greater in males than in females1,2. It was suggested that the rate of regeneration might be influenced by male sex hormones. If this were so, then treatment of females with androgens should increase the rate of regeneration. Two androgens were used in experiments to test this hypothesis: (a) androst-4-en-17β-3-one-phenyl-propionate (testosterone phenyl-propionate—TPP)—a steroid with highly androgenic and some anabolic activities, closely allied to the naturally occurring steroid testosterone; (b) 19-nor-androst-4-en-17β-3-one-phenyl-propionate (nandrolone phenylpropionate, NPP, or ‘Durabolin’)—a steroid with less androgenic but more anabolic activity than testosterone phenyl-propionate, and therefore more suitable for the treatment of females.

ENOL-ESTERS from the series of male sex hormones were first prepared by L. Ruzicka and W. H. Fischer1, Experiments carried out in our laboratories showed that testosterone diacetate was. less active on the capon's comb than the testosterone monoacetate, but that in single injection (2 mgm.) it was more active than testosterone monoacetate on rats2. Deanesly and Parkes3 recently compared the effect of testosterone monacetate and testosterone diacetate, and the results of their experiments indicated that these In two substances are similar as regards activity. In the meantime, our experiments were extended to the I previously described dipropionate and also to two newly prepared enol-esters of testosterone. The technique corresponds to that earlier described by Miescher, Wettstein and Tschopp4.