1119 HISTORY OF ANDROGENS AND ANABOLIC STEROIDS: USE, ABUSE, AND IDENTIFICATION

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology1 Apr 20101119 HISTORY OF ANDROGENS AND ANABOLIC STEROIDS: USE, ABUSE, AND IDENTIFICATION Jean Fourcroy Jean FourcroyJean Fourcroy More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.2316AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES This is a review of current and past contributions in the identification and measurement of androgens and androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS). METHODS Current, past and personal historical collections are utilized. RESULTS The magical healing powers of male gonadal organs is recorded from ancient Egyptians to 800 AD when Johannes Mesue the Elder called testicular extract an aphrodisiac. The rationale for this magical power is not well understood. Was it a sexual myth? Neither are the circumstances whereby neolithic farmers discovered that castration of animals improved domestication. John Hunter, a Scottish surgeon, conducted some of the first testicular rooster transplants in 1786. Rightly or wrongly the experiments of Arnold Berthold in1849 suggested a blood substance from roosters that affected appearance and behavior. Oskar Zoth in 1896 published a description of how the use of an extract improved muscular strength and athletic prowess. Charles Kochakian, a pioneer in synthetic hormone research, reported in 1935 that androgens stimulated the protein anabolic processes, offering the possibility that androgen therapy might restore protein tissue and stimulate growth in patients suffering from a spectrum of disorders. The search was now on for a synthetic chemical messenger. By 1937 clinical trials in humans were under way, employing injections of testosterone propionate, a slow-release derivative of testosterone, as well as oral doses of methyltestosterone. Bodybuilders began experimenting with testosterone preparations in the late 1940s and news spread early to other strength-intensive sports athletes, Many of these products came on the market before 1962 when safety and efficacy standards were adopted by the Food and Drug Administration. A myriad of androgenic products were marketed for a variety of unproven conditions. The use of these products preceded the ability to measure the urine or blood levels of androgens. Radioimmunoassays were first used in 1960 replacing the mesurement of urinary 17 ketosteroids. For the past 40 years mass spectrometry has played a decisive role in doping analysis and control in human sport. Today world-wide anabolic steroid use is documented among athletes of all ages. CONCLUSIONS The use of androgenic steroids for primary hypogonadism, enhancement or athletic improvement became a large and profitable business. Bethesda, MD© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 183Issue 4SApril 2010Page: e433 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Jean Fourcroy More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...