The action of an anti-androgenic steroid, 17-alpha-methyl-B-nortestosterone, on sebum secretion in rats treated with testosterone

An anti-androgenic steroid, 17α-methyl-B-nortestosterone was shown to reduce sebum production in spayed female rats treated simultaneously with testosterone. The sebum production was assessed by measuring the increase in the amount of ether-extractable hair fat over a period of 8 days immediately after washing the rats. Testosterone increased the secretion of sebum mainly by stimulating mitosis in the sebaceous glands and it was shown that the anti-androgenic steroid acted at this site, i.e. by suppressing mitosis. These effects were in contrast to the action of oestradiol which also depressed sebaceous activity, but appeared to do so by interfering with synthesis in the sebaceous cells.