Here is an avenue that has not been explored in this thread: The potential relationship between trenbolone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and prolactin. TRH stimulates the synthesis and release of thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone) from the pituitary. Thyrotropin in turn stimulates the release of the thyroid hormones. A negative feedback loop exists whereby low levels of T4 stimulate the release of TRH (1).
It has been established that in humans TRH is also capable of stimulating the release of prolactin (2). In hypothyroid patients there is often an elevation of TRH and prolactin due to diminished levels of T4. (3) Galactorrhea often presents as a symptom of hypothyroidism.
In sheep, administration of trenbolone acetate results in 45% decrease in thyroxine levels (4). This should exert a stimulatory effect on TRH. ( Interestingly, the same study shows that unlike in humans prolactin levels in the sheep remained unchanged. This is due to the fact that in sheep, unlike in humans, TRH and prolactin are secreted independently of each other (5).)
If it assumed that trenbolone acetate also lowers thyroxine levels in humans, the resulting rise in TRH would stimulate prolactin release, leading to galactorrhea and gynecomastia.
Due to the lack of human studies involving tren, we are all forced to speculate, and try to extrapolate from animal studies.
(1)Endocrinology 1999 Jan;140(1):43-9
Feedback regulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression by thyroid hormone in the caudal raphe nuclei in rats.
Yang H, Yuan P, Wu V, Tache Y.
Digestive Diseases Research Center, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, Department of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, California 90073, USA.
[email protected]
(2)Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics 8th ed. pp.1345-1346
(3) : Endocr J 1997 Feb;44(1):89-94
Incidence of hyperprolactinemia in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Notsu K, Ito Y, Furuya H, Ohguni S, Kato Y.
Department of Medicine, Shimane Prefectural Central Hospital, Izumo, Japan.
(4)Res Vet Sci 1981 Jan;30(1):7-13
Growth hormone, insulin, prolactin and total thyroxine in the plasma of sheep implanted with the anabolic steroid trenbolone acetate alone or with oestradiol.
Donaldson IA, Hart IC, Heitzman RJ.
(5) Endocrinol 1988 Apr;117(1):115-22
Release of prolactin is independent of the secretion of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone into hypophysial portal blood of sheep.
Thomas GB, Cummins JT, Yao B, Gordon K, Clarke IJ.
Medical Research Centre, Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.