Mesterolone

Mesterolone

Clinical data
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
ATC code	G03BB01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only) CA: Schedule IV US: Schedule III
Pharmacokinetic data
Metabolism	Liver
Identifiers
IUPAC name 1α-Methyl-17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one
CAS Number	1424-00-6 N
PubChem CID	15020
ChemSpider	14296 Y
UNII	0SRQ75X9I9
KEGG	D04947 Y
ChEMBL	CHEMBL258918 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.014.397
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C20H32O2
Molar mass	304.467 g/mol
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O=C4C[C@@H]3CC[C@@H]2[C@H](CC[C@]1(C)[C@@H](O)CC[C@H]12)[C@@]3(C)[C@@H](C)C4
InChI InChI=1S/C20H32O2/c1-12-10-14(21)11-13-4-5-15-16-6-7-18(22)19(16,2)9-8-17(15)20(12,13)3/h12-13,15-18,22H,4-11H2,1-3H3/t12-,13-,15-,16-,17-,18-,19-,20-/m0/s1 Y Key:UXYRZJKIQKRJCF-TZPFWLJSSA-N Y
NY (what is this?)

Mesterolone is a synthetic, orally active anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) and derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is sold under the brand names Proviron (as Provironum in Asia-Pacific region) and Mestoranum, by Bayer Schering Pharma (earlier by Schering). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was used with some success in controlled studies of men suffering from various forms of depression. Mesterolone is a relatively weak androgen and is rarely used for replacement therapies.

In one small scale clinical trial of depressed patients, an improvement of symptoms which included anxiety, lack of drive and desire was observed. In patients with dysthymia, unipolar, and bipolar depression significant improvement was observed. In this series of studies, mesterolone lead to a significant decrease in LH and testosterone levels. In another study, 100 mg mesterolone cypionate was administered twice monthly. With regards to plasma T levels, there was no difference between the treated vs untreated group, and baseline LH levels were minimally affected.

Mesterolone had seen widespread use in bodybuilding primarily for antiestrogenic activity in anabolic steroid stacks but such use has declined after introduction of aromatase inhibitors and SERMs. Most significant benefits of current Mesterolone use are considered by bodybuilders to be maintaining libido off-cycle and also relatively and temporarily improving vascularity.