P450 enzymes


There are a number of the P450 class of enzymes which can hydroxylate anabolic steroids at various positions on the molecule simply by adding OH groups. What this essentially will do is simply deactivate the steroid. Second to this effect the newly added hydroxy group will also provide a position for further metabolism, which causes the steroid molecule to become water soluble and much more easily excreted from the body. Now the P450 enzymes have many important metabolic roles within the human body, other than metabolizing steroids, and so attempting to inhibit these enzymes to get greater results from a particular steroid is not a good idea. There are however, some drugs, such as Rifampin, which actually increase the amount of P450 enzyme greatly, and this would possibly reduce the effectiveness of the steroids by speeding up their rate of metabolism. If this is the case, then the aim would not be to look into methods to inhibit the P450 enzyme itself within the body but to achieve a more effective effect from the steroid by increasing the dose of the administered anabolic - although the risk and rewards of this type of practice are limited and not advisable.