Psychopharmacological profile of mesterolone.

A psychopharmacological profile of mesterolone, an androgen and potential antidepressant drug, was tested in mice and rats. Given in a dose of 80 mg/kg ip, mesterolone potentiated the action of L-DOPA in mice and in doses 40 and 80 mg/kg ip potentiated the amphetamine stereotypy in rats. On the other hand, in doses of 20--80 mg/kg ip mesterolone did not affect the reserpine induced hypothermia and ptosis, did not antagonize the apomorphine induced hypothermia in mice, did not change the motor stimulation produced by amphetamine and did not affect the spiperone induced catalepsy in rats. Mesterolone did not affect the head twitch response after 5-hydroxytryptophan in mice and was inactive in the behavioral despair test in rats. The results indicate that the psychopharmacological profile of mesterolone only slightly resembles the profile of classical imipramine-like anti-depressants.