Effect of oral cyproterone acetate on urinary and serum FSH and LH levels in adult males being treated for hypersexuality

Abstract

A group of 18 male hypersexual patients received 50 mg cyproterone acetate orally twice a day. Radioimmunoassays of LH and FSH were carried out at intervals on serum and 24 hr urine specimens. All the 6 'pretreatment' and 28 'during treatment' levels of urinary FSH fell within the normal range of 2 to 17 i.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/24 hr. One of the 6 'pretreatment' and 3 of the 28 'during treatment' levels of urinary LH were higher than the normal range of 4 to 50 i.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/24 hr. Treated as a whole, the LH levels could be regarded as showing no difference due to treatment with cyprotone acetate, but if the patient with the high pretreatment level, who was also suffering from schizophrenia, was removed from the group then the LH levels during treatment showed a significant rise. The mean serum LH was 6.3 mU MRC 69/104 standard/ml with an upper limit of 14.4 mU and the mean serum FSH was 13.3 mi.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/ml with a range of 6 to 33 mi.u. All these results were within the quoted normal ranges. The mechanism of action of cyproterone acetate is discussed, taking into consideration the normal LH and FSH levels, low testosterone levels and inhibition of spermatogenesis, and is compared with the actions of estrogens, androgens, 'pure' progestagens and 'pure' anti androgens on these parameters.