Drugs profiles

Insulin is peptide hormone produced in the pancreas. The release of this hormone in the human body is most closely tied to blood glucose levels, although a number of other factors including pancreatic and gastrointestinal hormones, amino acids, fatty acids, and ketone bodies are also  involved. The main biological role of insulin is to promote the intracellular utilization and storage of amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids, while simultaneously inhibiting the breakdown of glycogen, protein, and fat. It is most notably identified with the control of blood sugar levels, and insulin medications are typically prescribed to people with diabetes, a metabolic disorder characterized by high  blood  sugar. While insulin targets many organs in the body, this hormone is both anabolic and anti-catabolic to muscle tissue. Insulin first became available as a medicine during the 1920’s. The first insulin preparations made were produced from crude pancreatic extracts taken from dogs. At one point when the supply of dead dogs ran out, the group actually started taking stray dogs off the streets in order to use. Soon after it was  discovered that cows and pigs worked as well that had been slaughtered and this made the research and development much more convenient and acceptable to the public. In 1974, chromatographic purification techniques allowed the manufacture of animal insulin with extreme purity. The pharmaceutical company Novo was the first to release a drug made with this technology.

Isotretinoin is an anti-acne medication that is chemically related to retinoic acid and retinol (vitamin A). Although its exact mode of action is unknown, this agent works by inhibiting sebaceous gland functioning, which diminishes oil production in the skin and hinders acne development. This product is sold in many countries throughout the world, and is largely recognized as one of the most effective medications available for treating severe acne. Studies also suggest that it has one of the highest success rates with even the strongest cases of clinical acne. Given that acne is one of the most common side effects of anabolic/androgenic steroid use, isotretinoin is utilized by bodybuilders and athletes to reduce or eliminate this cosmetic issue  during steroid therapy. Isotretinoin was developed by the pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, and was first introduced as a drug medication in 1982. The company marketed it under the brand name of Accutane, and retained the patent rights until 2002. Now that the patent has expired, there are a number of generic versions of the drug available. Isotretinoin is not a controlled substance, but has been regulated by the FDA in recent years due to potential side effects. Due to this, there are some very strict guidelines in place for prescribing the drug. Isotretinoin is most  commonly supplied in soft gel like capsules of 10, 20, and 40mg.

Bromocriptine mesylate is a dopaminomimetic ergot derivative with D2 dopamine receptor agonist and D1 dopamine receptor antagonist activities. It is used most commonly as a prolactin inhibitor in cases of hyperprolactinemia, a growth hormone suppressant in acromegaly, and as an adjunctive medication to elodea in the management of Parkinson’s disease. The structure and activity of this drug are very similar to that of cabergoline. In the bodybuilding and athletic communities, bromocriptine is sometimes used to induce fat loss or combat elevated prolactin levels. The human medical data concerning the potential role this drug might play in supporting ongoing fat loss is encouraging. In cases where it was given while dieting, bromocriptine was capable of increasing total fat loss by a statistically significant degree, and seemed to extend the duration in which the diet was most effective. Bromocriptine has been used widely in clinical medicine for its indicated use since the 1970s. It is also much more widely distributed than its counterpart medication cabergoline, which is used for a similar set of clinical indications. In the U.S., the most common brand name for this drug Parlodel, which is sold by the pharmaceutical company Novartis.

Clenbuterol is an anti asthma medication that belongs to a broad group of drugs known as sympathomimetics. These drugs affect that sympathetic nervous system in a wide number of ways, largely mediated by the distribution of adrenoceptors. There are actually nine different types of these receptors in the body, which are classified as either alpha or beta and further subcategorized by type number of ways, largely mediated by the distribution of adrenoceptors. Clenbuterol has been available as a bronchodilator for decades and is widely used in many parts of the world. Although it has a good safety record and approval in a wide number of other countries, this compound has never been made available for human use in the United States. The fact that there are a number of similar effective asthma medications already approved by the FDA and available may have something to do with this.

DNP is one of the most controversial drugs in use by bodybuilders. This agent is not sold for human use anywhere in the world at this time, but is readily available as an industrial chemical. Among other things, it is used an intermediary for the production of certain dyes, for photographic development, as a fungicide, in wood pressure treatment to prevent rotting, and as insecticide. It  is technically classified as a posion. The fat loss properties of DNP were reportedly first noticed during World War 1, when overweight men working with DNP in munitions plants started losing substantial amounts of weight. It did not take very long for this chemical to be identified as the cause. Soon after, it ws packaged as a drug product. By 1935, more than 100,000 Americans had already used “patent mediine” remedies that included the drug. DNP was the first synthetic drug that was ever used for weight loss in the United States. There were several popular brand names for the drug when it was marketed and was found in pharmacies all across the country. This drug was introduced before the time of government reviewed safety concerning drugs and medications. It wasn’t long after the drug was on the market that reports of severe side effects started coming in. There was a report of women who went blind temporarily in California. After this, reports of cases severe as death started being reported and by 1938 DNP was off the market for good. It has never since been re introduced as a medicine of any kind for humans or animals.