396 CELLS, TISSUES, AND ORGANISMS 



Employing the increase in weight of the rat levator ani muscle as an 

 index of anabolic activity ( Eisenberg and Gordon, 1950 ) , Hershberger, 

 Shipley, and Meyer ( 1953 ) found that 19-nortestosterone was equal to 

 testosterone in anabolic potency but only one-tenth as androgenic. Of 

 the derivatives of 19-nortestosterones that have been studied, 17-ethyl- 

 19-nortestosterone has been shown to have only 6 per cent of the andro- 

 genicity of testosterone, while retaining anabolic efiFects equal to testos- 

 terone ( Drill and Saunders, 1956, Saunders and Drill, 1956 ) . The com- 

 pound is well absorbed orally, producing nitrogen retention in the rat 

 equivalent to that obtained with testosterone or methyltestosterone 

 (Drill and Saunders, 1956; Saunders and Drill, 1958). Nilevar (17- 

 Ethyl-19-nortestosterone ) has been shown to produce nitrogen reten- 

 tion in man ( Spencer et al., 1956; McSwiney and Prunty, 1956; Weston 

 et al., 1956) and in a variety of clinical conditions (Weston et al., 1956; 

 Pedin et al, 1957; Goldfarb et al, 1958) . 



Nilevar and weight gain. Following the demonstrations that Nile- 

 var produces nitrogen retention in the normal subject and in debilitat- 

 ing disease conditions, it was studied for efiFects on body weight. 

 Watson et al, ( 1959 ) employed 54 underweight volunteer subjects 

 who desired to gain weight but had tried to do so without success. Their 

 mean results, employing a double blind technique, are shown in 

 Figure 4. The treated subjects showed significant gains in weight, 

 whereas the weight of 18 subjects receiving a placebo remained quite 

 constant. Only eight of the 54 subjects failed to gain weight. When the 

 placebo group was changed to Nilevar, a gain in weight was produced 

 (Figure 5). It is of interest that no androgenic efiFects of treatment 

 ( hirsutism, voice, libido ) were produced, showing that a significant de- 

 gree of separation of androgenicity from anabolic efiFects can be 

 achieved in a single molecule. After stoppage of treatment, 25 of the 

 patients were observed for a six-month period, and 19 of the group 

 maintained their weight gain or gained additional weight. The efiFects of 

 Nilevar in increasing body weight in patients with debilitating diseases 

 such as prostatic cancer, mammary cancer, endocrine disorders, or ul- 

 cerative colitis, or after gastrectomy, has been studied by a number of 

 investigators (Weston et al, 1956; Epstein et al, 1957; SchaflFner, Pop- 

 per, and Chesrow, 1959; Malejka, 1958). Brendler and Winkler (1959) 

 observed a weight gain in patients with prostatic cancer, and one pa- 

 tient, weighing 100 pounds on admission, gained 46 pounds. 



With regard to children. Brown, Libo, and Nussbaum observed a 

 gain in weight in all of 86 patients who ranged in age from seven weeks 

 to 15y2 years. Many had complained only of significant anorexia and 

 "weight lag," but others had celiac disease and congenital heart dis- 

 ease. In other studies on premature infants, the administration of 

 Nilever at 2 mg. per kilogram per day for 33 to 85 days did not sig- 

 nificantly afiFect body weight or length ( Meadows et al, 1960). 



