Plasma protein changes induced by two orally administered androgen derivatives

Epostane is a synthetic 17 alpha-alkylated 5 beta-androstane derivative, active following oral administration and devoid of any apparent androgenic, estrogenic or antiestrogenic potency. Circulating concentrations of 13 different plasma proteins were measured in eight women before and after 2 and 4 weeks of daily oral intake of 600 mg of epostane. The results were compared with those previously found during administration of the same daily dose of danazol, a synthetic 17 alpha-alkylated androgen derivative with known androgenic/anabolic activity. Epostane significantly suppressed serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, pregnancy zone protein and thyroxin-binding globulin and increased the levels of transthyretin. Haptoglobins, plasminogen and transferrin showed minor and/or transient changes and the levels of high density lipoproteins, alpha2-macroglobulin, albumin, C1-esterase inactivator, C3 complement and transcortin remained unaffected. The pattern of changes in plasma proteins was almost identical to that induced by administration of danazol, although the effects of epostane were somewhat weaker. Thus epostane is capable of inducing substantial changes in the pattern of steroid-sensitive plasma proteins in an androgen-like fashion despite its apparent lack of androgenic activity. The capacity of a steroid to induce such changes thus seems to be tied to the chemical structure rather than to the intrinsic hormonal activity of the molecule.