Effect of Testosterone Propionate on the Weight and Myoglobin Content of Striated Muscles in Gonadectomized Guinea Pigs

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Abstract
The reduction in wt. gain following gonadectomy in young male guinea pigs and the increased wt. produced by subsequent testosterone therapy were proportionally greater in masticatory muscles than in hindleg muscles or in the body as a whole. In contrast to its generalized growth-retarding effect in young guinea pigs, gonadectomy in adult males resulted in a marked reduction in the wt. of the masticatory muscles but had no effect on the wt. of the hindleg muscles and on the body wt. The concn. of myoglobin was greatly increased in the masticatory muscles (temporal and masseter) following gonadectomy in male guinea pigs and it was partially reduced to normal by subsequent testosterone therapy. Since there was no effect of gonadectomy and testosterone on the total amt. of myoglobin in the masticatory muscles, the apparent effect of male sex hormone on myoglobin concn. was attributable wholly to its effect on the mass of these muscles. Gonadectomy had no effect on myoglobin concn. hindleg muscles (rectus femoris and calf). The wt. and myoglobin content of masticatory and hindleg muscles were detd. in male and female guinea pigs of the same age. The observed differences were very similar to those between normal and gonadectomized male guinea pigs.