RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS STEROIDS IN AN ANDROGEN ASSAY USING THE EXORBITAL LACRIMAL GLAND OF THE CASTRATED RAT.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Morphological studies have shown that the exorbital lacrimal gland of the albino rat is a sexually dimorphic structure highly sensitive to androgens. Testosterone treatment elicits a vesicular-mucous change in the glandular acini which can be quantitated histologically and appears to be closely related to the administered dose. An assay procedure using the vesicular change as the end-point of androgenic activity is described and the relative androgenic activities of twenty-one Δ4-3-keto- and Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroids are given. The effect of a variety of substitutions in the steroid nucleus on the activities of testosterone, 17α-methyl-testosterone and 19-nortestosterone is described and discussed with reference to previously reported data.