I ti cotitinriation of o u r studies on the niechanisni of testosterone inclticecl nitrogen retention ( 1 .I 1 , we I)roi)osecl to investigate further the effect of sonie recentlj, introducetl steroids i v i t h a1 1egt.d 1 !-increased a nu1 lo1 ic ant1 tlecreased anclropenic I)roi)ertirs. I;or thc screening of such conil)ouncls I+;isenlwrg and Gorrlan ( 3 ) suggested ii l)ioassa\. tnethotl in which weight changes of the 111. levator mi ('ni.1.a.) of male rat3 are determined after injection of antlrogen.;. .\ccorcling t o these 311thors the ol)servetl wiglit changes intlic:itc. **tnyotrol)ic.'' i,(s. anabolic t4fec.t t)i the t*oin-I)oiiiitls. I;roni our ol)wv:ttioii> on i z e an(i growth of this niii.sclt* uti(lthr \*:trious cotiditions it a~q)earecl that weight chunges oi t h c l ni.1.a. riiight ii ses-linktAcl function. thtl growth effect of the hteroi(l3 rel)rrsenting itti an(lrogenic* rather than ;I general ni\.otroi )ic effect. I t wits therefore qiie~tion:il,le whether the m.1.a. tnethocl coultl lw tiset1 its an inclicator of the itna1,olic t4ec.t of stvroicl coni-I)ounds. The I)resent stiitl!* tleals ivitli t h v v;ilitlity of-this method.AIale \\-istar rats were kept iti intlivitluiil cages. The animals rectlivetl 1)iirina ('how (id lib. tvel)t when i w t l i i i I)rottin depletion and carbohycl rate ;in(