Bulking Cycle Steroids 4 - Androstenedione for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

How is it used?

Androstenedione is used to evaluate the function of the adrenal gland and the ovaries or the testicles as well as the production of hormones related to the development of male sex organs and physical characteristics (androgens). It is most commonly used to determine the cause of symptoms of excess androgens in a woman who has an elevated testosterone level, along with a few other laboratory tests for this purpose.


An androstenedione level may be used to:

Evaluate adrenal gland function and to distinguish between androgen-secreting conditions that are caused by the adrenal glands from those that originate in the ovaries or testicles, if results of DHEAS and testosterone testing are abnormal

Help diagnose tumors in the outer layer (cortex) of the adrenal gland or tumors outside of the adrenal gland that secrete ACTH (ectopic) and separate these conditions from ovarian or testicular tumors and cancers.

Diagnose congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and monitor CAH treatment, in addition to tests for testosterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone, for example
Help diagnose polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and help rule out other causes of infertility, no monthly menstrual periods (amenorrhea), and excess body and facial hair (hirsutism) in women who have abnormal results on tests for DHEAS, testosterone, and other hormones such as FSH, LH, prolactin, and estrogen
Investigate and diagnose the cause of male physical characteristics (virilization) in young girls and early (precocious) puberty in young boys
Help determine the cause of delayed puberty and investigate suspected ovarian or testicular failure
 

Androstenedione is a hormone produced naturally in the body by the adrenal glands, the ovaries (in women), and the testicles (in men). The body first manufactures DHEA , then turns DHEA into androstenedione, and finally transforms androstenedione into testosterone, the principal male sex hormone. Androstenedione is also transformed into estrogen. It is widely used by athletes who believe that it can build muscle and increase strength.
 

In females, the outer part of the adrenal glands (known as the cortex) and the ovaries release androstenedione into the bloodstream where it is converted to provide around half of all testosterone and almost all of the body’s oestrone, a form of oestrogen. Although the testes produce large amounts of androstenedione in males, they secrete little of this into the blood and, instead, rapidly convert it into testosterone within the testes. The adrenal glands also produce androstenedione in men, but this contribution is swamped by the testes’ overwhelming production of the other androgenic hormone, testosterone.


Applications

Due to its secretion from a number of different glands and its often rapid conversion to other hormones, the control of androstenedione within the body is very complex. However, two key parts of the brain (the hypothalamus and pituitary gland) are known to be important in the control of androstenedione secretion from the testes, ovaries and adrenal cortex. The release of androstenedione by the adrenal cortex is thought to be related to the pituitary gland’s secretion of a specialised hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone. Precisely how adrenocorticotropic hormone and other hormones control the adrenal gland’s production of androstenedione is, however, unclear. The testes and ovaries are stimulated to release androstenedione by luteinising hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. These are released from the anterior pituitary gland in response to a hormone signal from the hypothalamus.
 

Boys with too little androstenedione may fail to develop the sexual characteristics associated with puberty, including pubic and body hair, growth of the sexual organs and deepening of the voice. Similarly, girls may fail to start their periods and may not undergo many of the changes usually seen in puberty. Additionally, if a male foetus has too little androstenedione, he may be born with abnormal genitalia. Too little androstenedione in later life would cause the same changes for both men and women as too little testosterone and oestrogen.


Dosages:

The typical recommended dose of androstenedione is 100 mg 2 times daily with food.