Some data about the development of clitoromegaly are available from research in female-to-male transsexual patients. Lower dosages up to 6.25 mg weekly did not, suggesting a threshold for developing hirsutism in response to testosterone at a dosage somewhere between 6.25 and 12.5 mg weekly. Mild hirsutism occurs in around 1 out of 5 women given 150 mg testosterone enanthate every 4 weeks and is reversible after cessation of use (223). These effects include dysphonia or deepening of the voice, hirsutism and clitoromegaly. In this model, myotrophic or anabolic activity is measured by change in the weight of the rat bulbocavernosus/levator ani muscle, and androgenic activity is measured by change in the weight of the rat ventral prostate (or, alternatively, the rat seminal vesicles), in response to exposure to the AAS. The measurement of the dissociation between anabolic and androgenic effects among AAS is based largely on a simple but outdated and unsophisticated model using rat tissue bioassays. These modifications affect a steroid's ability to influence gene expression and cellular processes, highlighting the complex biophysical interactions of anabolic steroids at the cellular level. Female-specific side effects include increases in body hair, permanent deepening of the voice, enlarged clitoris, and temporary decreases in menstrual cycles. Acne is fairly common among AAS users, mostly due to stimulation of the sebaceous glands by increased testosterone levels. In support of the model is the rare condition congenital 5α-reductase type 2 deficiency, in which the 5α-reductase type 2 enzyme is defective, production of DHT is impaired, and DHT levels are low while testosterone levels are normal. Body weight in men may increase by 2 to 5 kg as a result of short-term (muscle hypertrophy and the formation of new muscle fibers have been observed. The hydration of lean mass remains unaffected by AAS use, although small increments of blood volume cannot be ruled out. This disassociation is less marked in humans, where all AAS have significant androgenic effects. Through a number of mechanisms AAS stimulate the formation of muscle cells and hence cause an increase in the size of skeletal muscles, leading to increased strength. Other effects include, but are not limited to, accelerated bone maturation, increased frequency and duration of erections, and premature sexual development. For example, AAS may prematurely stop the lengthening of bones (premature epiphyseal fusion through increased levels of estrogen metabolites), resulting in stunted growth. Use of anabolic steroids by athletes is not recommended. Administration of the oral anabolic steroid 17α-methyltestosterone increases urine excretion of creatinine and guanidinoacetic acid (160). Given that nearly all of the body’s creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, an increase in muscle mass increases the daily production of creatinine and can subsequently elevate serum creatinine levels without impacting GFR. Many people who use anabolic steroids recreationally take much more than is typically used for medical conditions. The same study found that individuals using AAS for non-medical purposes had a higher employment rate and a higher household income than the general population. Since the discovery and synthesis of testosterone in the 1930s, AAS have been used by physicians for many purposes, with varying degrees of success. In countries where AAS are controlled substances, there is often a black market in which smuggled, clandestinely manufactured or even counterfeit drugs are sold to users. Just like testicular testosterone production, spermatogenesis is governed by the HPGA. This might be probable in select cases which demonstrate biochemical evidence of primary hypogonadism (elevated gonadotropin levels with low testosterone levels), but evidence is lacking. This could lead to continued suppression of LH and FSH levels when employed as PCT, but is assumed by AAS users to aid in recovery of testicular function. At the group level, mean testosterone levels returned to baseline 3 months after cessation. DHT also appears to be broken down in skeletal muscle by inactivation to 3α-androstanediol by the enzyme 3α-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase (20, 21). DHT levels are (very) low in skeletal muscle as it does not significantly express the enzyme. With testosterone as a substrate, this reaction yields the most potent naturally occurring androgen, namely, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Inside the cell, it can either bind directly to the androgen receptor (AR) to affect gene expression or undergo bioactivation into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by 5αR-reductase (5αR) family enzymes or estradiol (E2) by aromatase. From the bloodstream, AAS move into the extravascular compartment and diffuse to their target cells to exert their effects. Androgens were discovered in the 1930s and were characterized as having effects described as androgenic (i.e., virilizing) and anabolic (e.g., myotrophic, renotrophic). They are completely insensitive to the AR-mediated effects of androgens like testosterone, and show a perfectly female phenotype despite having testosterone levels in the high end of the normal male range. It has been proposed that differential signaling through mARs may be involved in the dissociation of the anabolic and androgenic effects of AAS. The intracellular metabolism theory explains how and why remarkable dissociation between anabolic and androgenic effects might occur despite the fact that these effects are mediated through the same signaling receptor, and why this dissociation is invariably incomplete. Aside from 5α-reductase, aromatase may inactivate testosterone signaling in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, so AAS that lack aromatase affinity, in addition to being free of the potential side effect of gynecomastia, might be expected to have a higher myotrophic–androgenic ratio in comparison. As so-called "androgenic" tissues such as skin/hair follicles and male reproductive tissues are very high in 5α-reductase expression, while skeletal muscle is virtually devoid of 5α-reductase, this may primarily explain the high myotrophic–androgenic ratio and dissociation seen with nandrolone, as well as with various other AAS. According to the intracellular metabolism explanation, the androgenic-to-anabolic ratio of a given AR agonist is related to its capacity to be transformed by the aforementioned enzymes in conjunction with the AR activity of any resulting products.