ENDOCRINE HISTORY: The history of discovery, synthesis and development of testosterone for clinical use.

Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9423848 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1479-683X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08044643 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Eur J Endocrinol Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2023- : Oxford : Oxford University Press
Original Publication: Oslo, Norway : Scandinavian University Press, c1994-

Endocrinology/*history ; Testosterone/*history; History, 15th Century ; History, 16th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; History, Medieval ; Humans ; Hypogonadism/drug therapy ; Hypogonadism/surgery ; Male ; Orchiectomy/history ; Testis/physiology ; Testis/transplantation ; Testosterone/chemical synthesis ; Testosterone/therapeutic use

As the most important male hormone, testosterone has an impact on almost all organs and body functions. The biological effects of testosterone and the testes have been known since antiquity, long before testosterone was identified as the active agent. Practical applications of this knowledge were castration of males to produce obedient servants, for punishment, for preservation of the prepubertal soprano voice and even for treatment of diseases. Testes were used in organotherapy and transplanted as treatment for symptoms of hypogonadism on a large scale, although these practices had only placebo effects. In reaction to such malpractice in the first half of the 20th century science and the young pharmaceutical industry initiated the search for the male hormone. After several detours together with their teams in 1935, Ernst Laqueur (Amsterdam) isolated and Adolf Butenandt (Gdansk) as well as Leopold Ruzicka (Zürich) synthesized testosterone. Since then testosterone has been available for clinical use. However, when given orally, testosterone is inactivated in the liver, so that parenteral forms of administration or modifications of the molecule had to be found. Over 85 years the testosterone preparations have been slowly improved so that now physiological serum levels can be achieved.

3XMK78S47O (Testosterone)

Date Created: 20190409 Date Completed: 20190523 Latest Revision: 20190523

20231215

10.1530/EJE-19-0071

30959485