Effect of Testosterone Propionate upon Endometrial Cycle of the Human

Abstract

Experimental evidence is accumulating which indicates that male hormone counteracts the physiologic effects of estrogenic hormone. Ihrke and D'Amour 1 reported suppression of the estrous cycle in female rats while being injected with male hormone concentrates prepared from bull testes. Similar results were obtained by Robson 2 in mice and Browman 3 in rats with testosterone. Zuckerman 4 has reported that testosterone propionate inhibits follicle growth and luteinization in monkeys. The present investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of testosterone propionate upon the endometrial cycle of the menstruating human female.

A group of 6 women were selected and preliminary control endometrial (suction) biopsies were performed in each case to determine the presence of a normal endometrial cycle. In all of the cases selected for this study, the control biopsies performed during the latter half of the cycle showed, on one or more occasions, an endometrium in the secretory phase, indicating a regular estrogenic and corpus luteum effect.

These women were given testosterone propionate∗ in individual doses of 25 to 100 mg at intervals of 2 to 3 days. The total monthly dosage was varied from 175 nig to 800 mg. The androgen was administered intramuscularly in concentrations of 25 to 50 mg per cc of sesanie oil. During the course of testosterone injections, suction biopsies of the endometrium were performed at intervals of 1 to 4 weeks, covering 1 to 3 monthly cycles.

Because of the lack of uniformity in the terminology employed in the literature to describe the morphologic variations of thle endometrium, a brief description of the histologic criteria employed in this study is presented.

The normal monthly cycle may be divided into menstrual, proliferative and secretory phases. The proliferative phase occurs from the end of menstruation to the time of ovulation. In a 28-day cycle, this extends over a period of approximately 10 days, following a 4-day menstrual period, The endometrium is characterized by an increase in thickness, enlargement and tortuosity of the glands, numerous mitoses, pseudostratification of the epithelial cells, and increase in the number, size and mitotic activity of the stroma cells. There is abundant experimental evidence to indicate that this phase is the result of purely estrogenic stimulation of the endometrium resulting in progressiw cellular activity and growth.