Effect of Testosterone Propionate on Compensatory Renal Hypertrophy1

The effect of testosterone propionate (TP) injected subcutaneously in the doses of 0.2, 0.1, and 2.5 mg per day on kidney weight and compensatory renal hypertrophy (CRH) at 7 and 30 days was studied in the castrate and intact mature male rat. TP does have a role in maintaining kidney weight since castration significantly decreased kidney weight at the 7 and 30-day intervals and this deficit was eliminated by testosterone propionate in the doses used. CRH is decreased in the castrate rat at 7 days but not at 30 days and the deficit at 7 days is eliminated by testosterone propionate. There is no evidence that testosterone propionate causes “super” growth of kidneys in the doses utilized in either the intact, castrated, or nephrectomized mature male rats at 7 or 30 days. (Endocrinology94: 599, 1974)