Testosterone propionate is a fast-acting, short-ester, oil-based injectable testosterone compound that is commonly prescribed for the treatment of hypogonadism – low testosterone levels and various related symptoms in males.
Testosterone is the primary androgen found in the body. Endogenous testosterone is synthesized by cells in the testis, ovary, and adrenal cortex. Therapeutically, testosterone is used in the management of hypogonadism, either congenital or acquired. Testosterone is also the most effective exogenous androgen for the palliative treatment of carcinoma of the breast in postmenopausal women. Anabolic steroids, derivatives of testosterone, have been used illicitly and are now controlled substances. Testosterone, like many anabolic steroids, was classified as a controlled substance.
The Propionate Ester: An ester is any of a class of organic compounds that react with water to produce alcohols and organic or inorganic acids. Most esters are derived from carboxylic acids, and injectable testosterone is typically administered along with one or multiple esters. The addition of a carbon chain (ester) attached to the testosterone molecule controls how soluble it will be once it’s inside the bloodstream. The larger the carbon chain, the longer the ester, and the less soluble the medication; a large/long ester will have a longer half-life. The inverse is true of short carbon chains, like the propionate ester, which acts rapidly upon the body and evacuates the body at a similar rate. With a three-carbon chain, the testosterone ester possesses the shortest half life of all testosterone esters at 4 days.
