Anabolic steroids metabolism

Classification of the anabolic steroids is based on chemical stmctures and associated actions. A review of the biosynthesis and metabolism of the naturally occurring estrogens and androgens is available (1). Names, descriptions, approval dates, and recommended doses of the commercial products are found in References 1, 8, and 9. Although steroids may be orally active, the FDA approved mode of adrninistration is the subcutaneous implant. Effective dose is lower with implant rather than oral adrninistration. 

Protein isolation, by conjugating, 13 748 Protein kinases, 20 832 Protein metabolism, anabolic steroids and, 13 5-6... 

Deuterated steroids are also valuable for use in metabolic studies. For example, the isolation of di-deuterotestosterone in urine after oral administration in men of [16,16- H2]DHEA demonstrated that DHEA had potential as an anabolic steroid (Dehennin et al., 1998). Similarly, after treatment of rats with [1- H2]ethanol, mono-deuterotestosterone was isolated from plasma (Alomary et al., 2003). 

Dumasia MC, Houghton E, Bradley CV, Williams DH. 1983. Studies related to the metabolism of anabolic steroids in the horse the metabolism of 1-dehydrosterone and the use of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry in the identification of steroid conjugates. Biomed Mass Spectrom 10 434-440. 

Somatotropin, the adrenergic agonists, and the anabolic steroids are considered metabolism modifiers because these compounds alter protein, lipid, carbohydrate, mineral metabolism, or combinations of these and they partition nutrient use toward greater rates of protein deposition, ie, muscle growth, and lesser rates of lipid accretion. Historical data leading to understanding of the mechanism (s) of action are found in reviews on anabolic steroids (1), somatotropin (2—4), and the phenethanolamines (5—7). 

The consistent improvement in rate of protein deposition observed in growing ruminants indicates that anabolic steroid implants exert their primary influence through altering protein metabolism. There are lesser effects on lipid metabolism. 

Mechanism of Action. Few data are available that describe the effects of anabolic steroids on protein metabolism even fewer data exist for assessment of direct effects of anabolic steroids on lipid metabolism in growing ruminants. The lack of any consistent change in somatotropin, prolactin, insulin, or other metabolic hormones (qv) in a total of 15 studies has been noted (1,38). 

Very little data are available regarding effects of anabolic steroid implants on the lipid metabolism in growing ruminants. Lipogenic enzyme activity and fatty acid synthesis in vitro were elevated in subcutaneous adipose tissue from bulls implanted with estradiol (44), which may account for the increase in fat content of carcasses reported in some studies. TBA implants have no effect on lipogenesis in intact heifers, and only tend to reduce lipogenic enzyme activities in ovariectomized heifers (45). 

Keul J, Deus B, Kindermann W. Anabole Hormone Schadigung, Leistungsfahigkeit und Stoffwechsel. [Anabolic steroids damages, effect on performance, and on metabolism.] Med Klin 1976 71(12) 497-503. 

In this Report we shall be concerned with the anabolic processes of biosynthesis, and only brief mention will be made of the vast mass of work that has been published concerning microbial modifications and catabolism, especially of steroids, and the clinical consequences of steroid metabolism. 

Anabolic steroids, such as stanozolol and nandrolone, have the same effect on the body as testosterone, but they are more stable, so they are not metabolized as quickly. 

Theoretically, for clinical use, anabolic steroids should possess the truly anabolic activity of typical androgens such as testosterone but should lack all androgenic properties, such as virilizing effects. Such compounds have not been reported as yet. In practice, one considers as anabolic steroids those compounds in which anabolic activity prevails and which do not show the virilizing effect of androgens in dosages which are clinically active on protein metabolism. 

Webb, O. L., Laskarewski, P. M., and Glueck, C. J. (1984). Severe depression of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels in weight lifters and bodybuilders by self-administered exogenous testosterone and anabolic androgenic steroids. Metabolism 33,971-975. 

The anabolic steroids include danazol, mcthyltestosteronc, ethylestrenol, methandrostenolone, nandrolonc, oxandrolone, oxymetholone, stanozolol, and tetraliy-drogestrinone (brand names include Anadrol, Anavar, Danocrine, Dianabol, Metan-dren, and Winstrol). Although some may be taken orally or topically, others must be injected to be effective (see Table 14.2). The metabolism and elimination of steroids arc variable. Steroids can be detected reliably in urine for 4 to 14 days after use, but there are reports of positive urine tests as long as 13 months after the use of nan-drolone (Marshall, 1988). 

Anabolic steroids decrease catabolism and increase skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Whether this results in muscular hypertrophy or hyperplasia, or a combination of these, is unclear and probably depends upon the muscle studied. Different muscle types contain different cytosolic receptor numbers and, therefore, the response to anabolic steroids varies. Anabolic steroids initiate an increase in RNA polymerase activity and the synthesis of either structural or contractile proteins. In some muscles, anabolic steroids may increase the ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers (Nimmo et al 1982, Snow et al 1982). Increased activity of enzymes involved in energy metabolism may also occur. However, the total glycogen content may remain unchanged (Hyyppa et al 1997). The effects are most profound in females and castrated males (Snow 1993). 

Brower KJ (1997) Withdrawal from anabolic steroids. Current Therapy in Endocrinology and Metabolism 6 338-343. 

GC-MS has many applications beyond drug screening. Numerous xenobiotic compounds can be readily analyzed by GC-MS. Apphcations for anabolic steroids, pesticides, pollutants, and inborn errors of metabolism have been described. ... 

Rodway, R.G. and Galbraith, H. (1979) Effects of anabolic steroids on hepatic enzymes of amino acid catabolism. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 11, 489 190. 

G6. Gemzell, C. A., In Symposium on Protein Metabolism Influence of Growth Hormone, Anabolic Steroids, and Nutrition in Health and Disease (F. Gross, ed.), Discussion, p. 297. Springer, Berlin, 1962. 

In a personal communication to the present writer, Harkness (H5) pointed out that a number of steroid drugs with hydrocarbon skeletons which are not found in the naturally occurring steroids have been reduced and the products separated by GLC (A3). One application of such a technique in clinical chemistry is the detection of steroid drugs which in vivo are completely altered metabolically without changing their carbon skeletons. For example, after the administration to normal men of therapeutic doses of the anabolic steroid 17a-methyl-17 8-hydroxyan-drosta-l,4-dien-3-one (Dianabol Ciba) none of the imaltered drug could be detected in urine. A further difiBculty in detecting their administration... 

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