Androstenedione (a Natural Steroid and a Drug Supplement): A Comprehensive Review of Its Consumption, Metabolism, Health Effects, and Toxicity with Sex Differences

Androstenedione is a steroidal hormone produced in male and female gonads, as well as in the adrenal glands, and it is known for its key role in the production of estrogen and testosterone. Androstenedione is also sold as an oral supplement, that is being utilized to increase testosterone levels. Simply known as "andro" by athletes, it is commonly touted as a natural alternative to anabolic steroids. By boosting testosterone levels, it is thought to be an enhancer for athletic performance, build body muscles, reduce fats, increase energy, maintain healthy RBCs, and increase sexual performance. Nevertheless, several of these effects are not yet scientifically proven. Though commonly used as a supplement for body building, it is listed among performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, as well as the International Olympic Committee. This review focuses on the action mechanism behind androstenedione's health effects, and further side effects including clinical features, populations at risk, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and toxicokinetics. A review of androstenedione regulation in drug doping is also presented.

Progesterone and cortisol levels in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS): correlation with prognostic factors

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder. Worse prognostic factors in ALS are: (a) advanced age, (b) bulbar onset, and (c) short time between onset and diagnosis. Progesterone (PROG) has been associated with neuroprotective and promyelinating activities in injury, ischemia and degeneration of the central and peripheral nervous system. Cortisol is connected to the response to stress situations and could contribute to neuronal damage. The goals of this study were: (i) to investigate whether PROG levels are modified by ALS prognostic factors and (ii) to determine whether cortisol follows the same pattern. We determined serum steroid levels in 27 patients with sporadic ALS (sALS) and 21 controls. Both steroid hormones showed significantly increased levels in ALS patients versus controls (mean±SEM: PROG ALS vs.

CONTROL

0.54±0.05 vs. 0.39±0.04 ng/mL, p<0.05; cortisol ALS vs.

CONTROL

17.02±1.60 vs. 11.83±1.38 μg/dL, p<0.05).1 A trend towards higher levels of PROG were demonstrated in spinal onset patients compared with bulbar onset (p=0.07), positive correlation with survival time (RRho=0.43, p=0.04) and a trend towards significance with time to diagnosis (RRho=0.36, p=0.06). These correlations have not been demonstrated for cortisol. Elevated serum steroid levels in sALS were probably due to hyperfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, only PROG correlated with better prognostic factors. Future studies will determine if the different behavior of PROG and cortisol relate to any particular role they might play during the course of this motor neuron degenerative disease.