17α-alkylated
17α-Alkylated anabolic steroid
Class of chemical compounds
A 17α-alkylated anabolic steroid is a synthetic anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) that features an alkyl group, specifically a methyl or ethyl group, at the C17α position. Unlike many other AAS, 17α-alkylated AAS are orally active and do not require intramuscular injection. However, they uniquely possess a high potential for hepatotoxicity, which simultaneously limits their use. In addition, some have a high risk of gynecomastia due to uniquely high estrogenic activity, although this does not apply to 17α-alkylated AAS that are also 4,5α-reduced or 19-demethylated (i.e., that are also dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or nandrolone derivatives, respectively). The prototypical example of a 17α-alkylated AAS is methyltestosterone (17α-methyltestosterone).