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Anabolic Agents and Relative Polycythaemia
Author(s) -
Verwilghen R.,
Louwagie A.,
Waes J.,
Vandenbroucke J.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1966.tb00157.x
Subject(s) - polycythaemia , medicine , anabolism , testosterone (patch) , anabolic steroid , endocrinology , nandrolone , hormone
after the administration of testosterone an increase in the haemoglobin concentration may occur, and the difference in haemoglobin concentration between males and females has been ascribed to this hormonal influence. This hypothesis has been confirmed experimentally by Kennedy (1962). An increase in the haemoglobin concentration has also been brought about by the administration of ‘anabolic’ drugs (Booij and Kuypers, 1962; Everse and Van Keep, 1962). Both testosterone and anabolic drugs have induced remissions in congenital and acquired aplastic anaemia (Kennedy and Gilbertson, 1957; Shahidi and Diamond, 1959, 1961; Kennedy, 1962). These authors also reported polycythaemia in some cases following treatment with androgens or anabolic drugs. Gardner and Pringle (1961) have described polycythaemia in a woman suffering from a tumour of the adrenal cortex. Booij and Kuypers (1962) reported two cases of polycythaemia after prolonged administration of Nandrolone‐phenylpropionate (Durabolin) at high dosage, and they also demonstrated that this drug had an erythropoietic action in rats. But, like most other workers they based their observations only on measurements on peripheral blood and they made no blood volume determinations. Thus they were unable to distinguish between an increase in haemoglobin concentration due to a decrease of the plasma volume and an absolute increase of the whole red cell mass. Kennedy (1957), however, observed a return to normal values of the red cell mass during treatment of breast cancer with testosterone and even an increase exceeding the normal values in some of the patients. Unfortunately no plasma volume determinations were made. The results in three patients with clinical signs of polycythaemia after prolonged administration of anabolic drugs are reported. Examination of the peripheral blood showed an increase in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume. However, determination of the plasma and red cell volume showed that these changes were due to a decrease of the plasma volume.