Steroids wrongly implicated as sole cause of death? Info on cocaine and AAS.

[BigGreen]

I had this article passed along to me by a friend who frequents a number of boards, never really making one a home. I believe this was originally posted on Meso, according to him. Anyway, it's an interesting and brief read, and the charts contained in-text will follow as picture attachments.

Many famous people believed to have "died" from steroids were also using recreational drugs, especially cocaine. An Italian experiment with blood platelets explains why the combination of steroids and cocaine can cause lethal strokes. "Coke" reinforces the dangerous qualities of testosterone and counteracts good ones.

The researchers performed two series of tests. First, they extracted blood platelets from the blood of healthy male subjects who were not using drugs or medicines. Then they exposed the platelets to moderately high concentrations of testosterone and cocaine. For purposes of this study, ‘moderately high’ means higher than you might find in the average male, but of the same magnitude physicians have found in anabolic -androgenic steroid users. The Italian researchers used testosterone in concentrations of 750 and 1500 nanomol. Physicians have found concentrations between 100 and 200 nanomol in heavy users.

Steroids can enhance platelet aggregation and cause blood clots, and coke has the same effects. But what happens when the two are combined? The figures below tell.

TXB2 is a stable and inactive metabolite of thromboxane A2 (TXA2). It is produced by blood platelets and causes vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation.

The figure below shows that the increased production of TXA2 actually resulted in more aggregation. LTb stands for the transparency of the samples. As a result of the aggregation the samples became more clear.

Both figures tell the same story. In contrast with predicted expectations, testosterone does not make your blood clot, and neither does coke. However, according to the Italian in vitro studies the chance of a stroke occurring starts to rise when the two drugs are combined.

The researchers don’t know how this works. All they know is that androgen receptors are not involved. Adding flutamide (a drug which blocks the androgen receptors) to the mixture had no effect.

Testosterone also has some direct beneficial effects on the arteries. The hormone causes vasorelaxation, which lowers blood pressure, increases blood flow and diminishes the chance of strokes. The Italian researchers discovered vasoconstruction doesn’t occur in the presence of cocaine when they exposed pieces of rabbit blood vessels to the testosterone-cocaine mixture. Once again though, the Italians are not sure how this works. Adding the anti-androgen flutamide had no effect.

In vitro is not in vivo. Nevertheless, the message is clear. The chances of a stroke as the result of testosterone administration alone are not very high, but the same cannot be said for cocaine and testosterone combined.

Source

Giuseppina Togna, Anna Rita Togna, Manuela Graziani, Matteo Franconi. Testosterone and cocaine: vascular toxicity of their concomitant abuse. Thrombosis Research, Volume 109, Issue 4 , 15 February 2003, Pages 195-201. [PubMed]

[BigGreen]

Table #1

[BigGreen]

And, lastly...table #2

[dizzle]

interesting read

[The Base]

Hmmm, need to be a little bit more carefull when it gets to party season then eh!!

Thats some freaky shit!

Is that just for cocaine, or does the same shit happen with other stimulants like Ephedrine or even excess amounts of Cafein?

[BigGreen]

Hmmm, need to be a little bit more carefull when it gets to party season then eh!!

Thats some freaky shit!

Is that just for cocaine, or does the same shit happen with other stimulants like Ephedrine or even excess amounts of Cafein?

I just saw your reply as I was bumping for another thread and I have to say that's an interesting question. I'm certain that would change a good deal of attitudes toward cutting cycles if it were the case. However, even if it is in fact the case, I don't, in my limited knowledge on the subject, think that any of those above substances rival cocaine for its immediate and harsh impact on the cardiovascular system.

[the dent depot]

Thanks for posting that....I have a good friend that does both AS+Coke, and I think he might back off of the coke after reading that.

D

[talon]

Wow, seems very logical.

[mass junkie]

Damn reading that gave me the chills.....................Thats just crazy

[talon]

Mass you lieing ass sack of shit...your numb right now...you didnt get any chill....LOL

[mass junkie]

Mass you lieing ass sack of shit...your numb right now...you didnt get any chill....LOL

damn bro I cant believe you called me out like that..........lmao

[talon]

HA HA HA, thats what Im here for bro....

[mass junkie]

HA HA HA, thats what Im here for bro....

Go to bed I know you got school in the morning! lol

[talon]

HE HE HE, not till 2pm then work, wth old man its only 3 in morning...lol

[rxarms]

Envitro studies don't necessarily mean itwill happen in the human body. How about animal studies.