Tetrahydrogestrinone
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Other names | THG; The Clear; 17α-Ethyl-18-methyl-δ9,11-19-nortestosterone; 17α-Ethyl-18-methylestra-4,9,11-trien-17β-ol-3-one |
Routes of administration | By mouth, intramuscular injection |
Drug class | Androgen; Anabolic steroid; Progestogen |
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Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), known by the nickname The Clear, is a
Non-medical uses
THG was developed
In 2003, whistleblower Trevor Graham passed a spent syringe containing a small amount of the drug to the United States Anti-Doping Agency. This was then transferred to the research group of pharmacologist Don Catlin, who identified the drug using mass spectrometry techniques and gave it its present name.[4][5]
THG has never been fully tested for safety and has never entered legitimate medical use, although some studies have been made of its properties.[6] A synthesis was devised to ensure a source of material for comparison and it was scheduled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005.[7][1] Concerns have also been raised about its potential use in animals such as in horse-racing.[citation needed]
Side effects
Side effects from prolonged use are likely to include infertility in both men and women, as well as other steroid side effects such as acne and hirsutism.[8] Unlike most other anabolic steroids, THG also binds with high affinity to the glucocorticoid receptor, and while this effect may cause additional weight loss, it is also likely to cause additional side effects such as immunosuppression that are not seen with most other steroids.[9]
Pharmacology
Pharmacodynamics
THG is a highly potent
When THG reaches the nucleus of a cell, it binds to the androgen receptor at the ligand-binding pocket. Here it changes the expression of a variety of genes, turning on several
Chemistry
THG, also known as 17α-ethyl-18-methyl-δ9,11-19-nortestosterone or as 17α-ethyl-18-methylestra-4,9,11-trien-17β-ol-3-one, is a
History
For a time, THG was considered the drug of choice for safe and "invisible" world record breaking in athletics, being used by several high-profile gold medal winners such as the sprinter
THG was developed by Patrick Arnold for the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), which claimed to be a nutritional supplement company.[16] The company manufactured the drug through palladium-charcoal catalyzed hydrogenation from gestrinone, a substance used in gynecology for treatment of endometriosis (Australian Medicines handbook 2011).
In 2003, U.S. sprint coach Trevor Graham delivered a syringe containing traces of THG to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). This helped Don Catlin, MD, the founder and then-director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab, to identify and develop a test for THG, the second reported designer anabolic steroid.[17]
References
- ^ a b US 2006045847, "Method for determination of anabolic activity"
- ^ a b "Video". CNN. 2006-10-09. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ Cotton S. "Molecule of the month: THG". University of Bristol. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ^ Montoya G. "Dr. Don Catlin on Anti-Doping in Boxing". Max Boxing. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- PMID 15174177.
- ISBN 978-1-4419-7014-5.
- ^ "Oct.2003 FDA statement on THG". fda.gov. Archived from the original on 13 May 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- PMID 15126583.[permanent dead link]
- PMID 16356667.
- PMID 15684350.
- PMID 15976054.[permanent dead link]
- PMID 18500378.
- .
- ^ "Jones pleads guilty in drug case". BBC News. 2007-10-06. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ Fainaru-Wada M, Lance W (December 2, 2004). "Giambi admitted taking steroids". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
- ^ "Chemist Who Create "The Clear" Sentenced". United States Department of Justice. 4 August 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
- ^ Steeg JL (28 February 2007). "Catlin has made a career out of busting juicers". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
External links
- The identity of the whistle-blowing coach
- "This Is Very Clever Chemistry" from The Washington Post, December 4, 2004