Stanozolol (also known as winstrol) is a 17-alpha-alkylated derivative of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with low androgenic qualities yet highly anabolic. It was first developed in 1962 by American global pharmaceutical company Sterling-Winthrop Laboratories to increase lymphocyte count and CD8+ cell numbers, but to decrease CD4+ and CD3+ in postmenopausal women using it for osteoporosis. This effect would plausibly be useful for treatment of autoimmune disorders. Winstrol is useful in treatment of hereditary angioedema. It also influences some immunological processes. Now stanozolol is produced for sale in two forms: tablets and injections. Stanozolol is the second most widely used oral steroid, succeeded in popularity only by methandienone. Stanozolol tablets have a short life time (about 9 hours) as compared against injectable stanozolol. The injectable version of stanozolol differs from other injectable anabolic steroids in being an aqueous suspension of fine particles of steroid, instead of being an oil solution of an esterified compound. For this reason, it has unusual pharmacokinetics which do not follow the classic half-life pattern. Instead, there is a sustained effect which slowly tapers. The duration of action is probably at least a week. Individual particles of stanozolol may remain at the injection site for extended periods of time.
