[Effect of an anabolic steroid (methenolone enanthate) on the intra- and extravasal albumin pool in liver cirrhosis].

15 patients with a histologically and/or peritoneoscopically proven cirrhosis of the liver were treated for four weeks with 200 mg metenolonenanthate (Depot-Primobolan) per week. Before and after the treatment the intravascular and extravascular pool and daily turnover of albumin were measured with 125J-albumin. All patients had a well "compensated" cirrhosis. The only significant difference between the values of the cirrhotic patients and those of a control group of patients was a reduction of the albumin turn-over. The anabolic steroid enlarged the turn-over, the effect was the more pronounced the more pronounced the more the turn over was diminished before the treatment.