Anabolic, Androgenic Steroids and Synthetic Anabolic Steroids

Question 1

What are the 3 androgen roles of testosterone?

Answer 1

Virility:

1) maturation of male reproductive system and sex drive
2) secondary sex characteristics
3) increased sebaceous gland activity

Question 2

What are the 6 ANABOLIC roles of testosterone?

Answer 2

Muscluo-skeletal growth:

1) Repairs damaged tissue (actin and myosin) through protein synthesis as a result of tissue damage
- continuous breakdown and repair leads to hypertrophy
2) Decreased catabolism of muscle
- cortisol inhibition - shortened recovery time
3) Stimulates long bone growth during puberty and closure of ephiphyses
4) erythropoiesis - red blood cell synthesis
5) causes male pattern baldness
6) Prostate development and growth

Question 3

How is testosterone synthesized?

Answer 3

1) hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin releasing hormone via hypophyseal portal vein
2) anterior pituitary gland releases LH and FSH which go to the testes
3) testes produce TESTOSTERONE and SPERM

Question 4

What cells produce and store testosterone in the testes?

Answer 4

Leydig cells

Question 5

What cells produce sperm in the testes?

Answer 5

Sertoli cells

Question 6

How is testosterone stored in the Leydig cells?

Answer 6

It is esterified to lipids - gets released when hydrolyzed

Question 7

How is testosterone released into circulation?

Answer 7

Hydrolyzed from lipids

2) diffuses across cell membrane
3) enters circulation

Question 8

What is testosterone bound to?

Answer 8

98% is bound to sex hormone binding globulin

Question 9

What tissues are testosterone specific?

Answer 9

Reproductive tissue (androgenic effect)
Musculoskeletal tissue (anabolic effect)

Question 10

What is the MOA of testosterone?

Answer 10

Unbound enters skeletal muscle tissue or reproductive organ tissue producing either anabolic or androgenic effects

Question 11

What is the anabolic MOA of testosterone?

Answer 11

Enters skeletal muscle tissue

• absorbs easily across cell membrane and heads to nucleus of cell
• once in nucleus, testosterone is responsible for promoting transcription and translation of mRNA, which leads to:
  
  • synthesis of protein filaments actin and myosin
  • skeletal muscle growth

Question 12

What is the adrogenic MOA of testosterone?

Answer 12

• once in cytosol of cell, testosterone is converted to 5-dihydrotestosterone by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase
• 5-DHT then migrates to the nucleus of the cell and stimulates protein synthesis necessary for androgenic effects such as secondary sex characteristics

Question 13

What is the role of the enzyme 5-Alpha Reductase?

Answer 13

It converts testosterone into 5-DiHydroTestosterone for androgenic use
- reduces testosterone with addition of hydroxyl group for water solubility

Question 14

What are the benefits of chemically derived sythetic anabolic steroids?

Answer 14

Mimics endogenous testosterone’s anabolic effects with minimal androgenic and estrogenic effects.

Question 15

What is the pharmacological advantage of synthetic steroids:?

Answer 15

Little affinity for 5-alpha reductase, so decreased concentration of 5-DHT in reproductive tissue, limiting the androgenic properties

Question 16

What are the therapeutic uses for synthetic roids?

Answer 16

1) male hypogonadism
2) muscle wasting
3) anemia
4) carcinoma of the breast in women
5) short stature
6) enhancement of athletic performance

Question 17

What is hypogonadism?

Answer 17

result of decrease in Hypothalamus-pituitary-testes axis leading to decreased function of leydig cells and decrease in function of sertoli cells

Question 18

How does it aid carcinoma prevention?

Answer 18

shutdown of the estrogen synthesis pathway by creation of synthetic estrogen, blocking female production of endogenous estrogen

Question 19

how do they enhance performance?

Answer 19

1) stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle tissue

2) Estrogenic effects - increased muscle mass due to water retention

Question 20

What are the oral synthetic roids?

Answer 20

• 17-alkylated steroids
  
  • addition of an alkyl group to the 17th carbon increases steroids resistance to first pass effect, allowing more potent oral dosing

Question 21

What are the side effects of oral 17-alkyl steroids?

Answer 21

• increased hepatotoxicity

- strong aromatization to estrogen

Question 22

What are the 3 most common orals?

Answer 22

1) Oxandrolone (anavar)
2) Oxymethalone (anadrol)
3) Methandrostenelone (dianabol)

Question 23

What is the advantage of Oxandrolone?

Answer 23

modest anabolic, minimal aromatization, minimal hepatotoxicity
- good for cutting

Question 24

Oxymethalone

Answer 24

Most potent
highly estrogenic
high hepatotoxicity
Major crash

Question 25

how to counter roid crash

Answer 25

supplementing HcG to increase endogenous test

- cycle down to less potent

Question 26

Methandrostenelone

Answer 26

Potent, but fast to aromatize

- countered with aromatase inhibitor like anastrazole

Question 27

Intramuscular steroids

Answer 27

addition of large, fat soluble ester to 17th carbon

Question 28

advantage of intramuscular 17-ester roids

Answer 28

Increased duration of action
Less hepatotoxicity
Less aromatization

Question 29

Common injectables

Answer 29

1) Nandrolone - best gain, least risk
2) test Cypionate
3) test propionate
4) test enanthate - duration of 3^ based on different ester - all have estro and andro side effects
5) Stanazolol (winstrol) - no estrogenic - lean muscle - popular in speed/strength
6) methenolone enanthate (primobolan depot) - long acting - no aromatization
7) trenbolone - was undetectable - Bonds

Question 30

Cardiovascular effects of roids

Answer 30

Increased LDL’s - atherosclerosis
Decreased HDL’s
Increased Triglycerides
Increased water retention from estrogen

Question 31

Male repro effects

Answer 31

Testicular atrophy
Excess extrogen - gynomastia - full moon face
Baldness

Question 32

Female repro effects

Answer 32

H-P-Ovary axis suppression
- decreased LH and FSH leads to menstrual irregularities
FSH peak at ovulation
LH peak at end of cycle
Clit enlargement

Question 33

Liver effects

Answer 33

Elevated enzymes
Jaundice
Peliosis Hepatis

Question 34

Endocrine effects

Answer 34

Increased Blood glucose levels

Acne

Question 35

Musculo-skeletal effects

Answer 35

premature epiphyseal closing
degeneration of tendons
osteoporosis

Question 36

CNS effects

Answer 36

mood swings
violence
depression
psychosis

Question 37

Prostate effects

Answer 37

hypertrophy