Mesterolone
Encyclopedia
Mesterolone is an orally applicable androgen
Androgen
Androgen, also called androgenic hormone or testoid, is the generic term for any natural or synthetic compound, usually a steroid hormone, that stimulates or controls the development and maintenance of male characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors...

, and DHT
Dihydrotestosterone
Dihydrotestosterone is an androgen or male sex hormone. The enzyme 5α-reductase synthesises DHT in the prostate, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands...

 derivative. It is sold under the brand name Proviron, by Schering
Schering
Schering AG was a research-centered German pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering and merged with Bayer's pharma sector in December 2006. The company's headquarters was in Berlin-Wedding, Germany...

. In the late 70's and early 80's it was used with some success in controlled studies of men suffering from various forms of depression.

In one randomized, double-blind 4-week trial, 38 dysthymic men were administered 75mg daily. Itil & Colleagues reported an improvement of symptoms which included anxiety, lack of drive and desire.
Next, they administered a high dose (450mg/day) or placebo in a 6-week randomized trial of 52 men with a mean age of 40 years, suffering from dysthymia, unipolar and bipolar depression. Both the mesterolone and placebo groups improved significantly and there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. In this series of studies mesterolone lead to a significant decrease in LH
Luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH called the LH surge triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone , it stimulates Leydig cell...

 and testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group and is found in mammals, reptiles, birds, and other vertebrates. In mammals, testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females, although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands...

 levels. This is probably as a result of the extremely high dose used.
In another, 100mg mesterolone cipionate was administered twice monthly. With regards to plasma T levels, there was no difference between the treated vs untreated group, and baseline LH
Luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH called the LH surge triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone , it stimulates Leydig cell...

levels were minimally affected.

Mesterolone is a relatively weak androgen and rarely used for replacement therapies.
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