Nandrolone Decanoate and Physical Effort: Histological and Morphometrical Assessment in Adult Rat Uterus

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

OVARIAN HISTOLOGY and FOLLICULAR SCORE IN FEMALE RATS TREATED WITH NANDROLONE DECANOATE and SUBMITTED TO PHYSICAL EFFORT

The study was conducted to analyze the histology of the ovaries of adults rats treated with steroids, and submitted or not to physical effort. The control group consisted of females submitted to physical effort and sedentary females, both of which received a physiological solution of 0.9% saline. Treated females, sedentary or not, received 6 mg/kg of body weight of nandrolone decanoate. The steroid and physiological solution were administered intraperitoneally, with a single injection per week for 4 consecutive weeks. The applied physical effort was swimming (20 minutes daily, 5 days/week, for the 4 weeks of treatment). Serial sections (5 mu m) of ovaries were prepared for histological evaluation and follicular score. The weight of ovaries and hypophysis, the number of antral and atretic follicles, and the area of corpus luteum were all affected by the steroids. In the ovaries of the control groups, well-developed corpus luteum was observed. In the treated groups, the cortical stroma was occupied by ovarian interstitial tissue. The females treated with steroids presented estral acyclicity. The use of nandrolone decanoate, whether associated with physical effort or not, affected the morphological pattern of the ovaries.

Genetic polymorphisms associated with steroids metabolism and insulin action in polycystic ovary syndrome

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Testosterone Promotes an Anabolic Increase in the Rat Female Prostate (Skene's Paraurethral Gland) Which Acquires a Male Ventral Prostate Phenotype

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of nandrolone decanoate on the neuromuscular junction of rats submitted to swimming

This study addressed the effects of nandrolone decanoate (ND) on contractile properties and muscle fiber characteristics of rats submitted to swimming. Male Wistar rats were grouped in sedentary (S), swimming (Sw), sedentary+ND (SND), and swimming+ND (SwND), six animals per group. ND (3 mg/kg) was injected (subcutaneously) 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. Swimming consisted of 60-min sessions (load 2%), 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. After this period, the sciatic nerve extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle was isolated for myographic recordings. Fatigue resistance was assessed by the percent (%) decline of 180 direct tetanic contractions (30 Hz). Safety margin of synaptic transmission was determined from the resistance to the blockade of indirectly evoked twitches (0.5 Hz) induced by pancuronium (5 to 9 x 10(-7) M). EDL muscles were also submitted to histological and histochemical analysis (haematoxylin-eosin (HE); nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-tetrazolium reductase (NADH-TR)). Significant differences were detected by two-way ANOVA (p<0.05). ND did not change body mass, fatigue resistance or kinetic properties of indirect twitches in either sedentary or swimming rats. In contrast, ND reduced the safety margin of synaptic transmission in sedentary animals (SND=53.3+/-4.7% vs. S=75.7+/-2.0%), but did not affect the safety margin in the swimming rats (SwND=75.81+/-3.1% vs. Sw=71.0+/-4.0%). No significant difference in fiber type proportions or diameters was observed in EDL muscle of any experimental group. These results indicate that ND does not act as an ergogenic reinforcement in rats submitted to 4 weeks of swimming. on the other hand, this study revealed an important toxic effect of ND, that it reduces the safety margin of synaptic transmission in sedentary animals. Such an effect is masked when associated with physical exercise. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of nandrolone decanoate and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle in adult male rats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Further triterpenes, steroids and furocoumarins from Brazilian medicinal plants of Dorstenia genus (Moraceae)

The hexane-soluble fractions from the rhizomes or from the leaves from five Dorstenia (Moraceae) species (D. bahiensis Kl., D. bryoniifolia Mart ex. Miq., D. carautae C.C.Berg, D. cayapiaa Vell. and D. heringerii Car. & Val) were analysed by HRGC-MS (high-resolution gas chromatography - mass spectrometry). Pentacyclic triterpenes, steroids and furocoumarins were identified. HRGC-MS is shown to be a valuable tool for the analysis of terpenoidal compounds from Dostenia species. These compounds may be related to the folk utilization of Dorstenia species as antiophidicals.

Reproductive cycle, ovarian development, and vertebrate-type steroids profile in the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

This study is intended to characterize the ovarian development and hemolymph vertebrate-type steroids concentration during the reproductive cycle of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. A five-stage classification based on the external observation of the ovary's size and color as seen through the tegument was used. The results showed the existence of a direct correspondence between the ovarian stages and the gonadosomatic index, the oöcyte diameter, and the characteristics of ovarian histology. In each stage total bleeding of the prawns was conducted and the hemolymph concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E 2), testosterone (T) and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP; conjugated and unconjugated) were determined by solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA). High levels of unconjugated 17-OHP, relatively constant concentrations of unconjugated T, and null concentration of unconjugated E 2 were found throughout the five stages considered. Nonetheless, low levels of E 2 were determined in all stages, in conjugated (glucoronide) form. The highest levels were obtained in stage II and III (18.14 ± 14.52 pg/ml hemolymph) and progressively declined in the other stages (7.53 ± 6.76 pg/ml hemolymph). These results point out the possible involvement of vertebrate-type steroids in the endocrine regulation of the Macrobrachium rosenbergii's ovarian cycle. To our knowledge this is the first study concerning the vertebrate-like steroid levels throughout the ovarian cycle and is a step needed to characterize the hemolymph profile of these steroids in order to elucidate the possible role in the regulation of the reproductive crustacean cycle.

Involvement of pituitary gonadotropins, gonadal steroids and breeding season in sex change of protogynous dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Teleostei: Serranidae), induced by a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor

Two experiments were performed using the aromatase inhibitor (AI) letrozole (100mg/kg) to promote sex change, from female-to-male, in protogynous dusky grouper. One experiment was performed during the breeding season (spring) and the other at the end of the breeding season (summer). During the spring, AI promoted sex change after 9weeks and the sperm produced was able to fertilize grouper oocytes. During the summer, the sex change was incomplete; intersex individuals were present and sperm was not released by any of the animals. Sex changed gonads had a lamellar architecture; cysts of spermatocytes and spermatozoa in the lumen of the germinal compartment. In the spring, after 4weeks, 11ketotestosterone (11KT) levels were higher in the AI than in control fish, and after 9weeks, coincident with semen release, testosterone levels increased in the AI group, while 11KT returned to the initial levels. Estradiol (E2) levels remained unchanged during the experimental period. Instead of decreasing throughout the period, as in control group, 17 α-OH progesterone levels did not change in the AI-treated fish, resulting in higher values after 9weeks when compared with control fish. fshβ and lhβ gene expression in the AI animals were lower compared with control fish after 9weeks. The use of AI was effective to obtain functional males during the breeding season. The increase in androgens, modulated by gonadotropins, triggered the sex change, enabling the development of male germ cells, whereas a decrease in E2 levels was not required to change sex in dusky grouper. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Clastogenicidade e /ou aneugenicidade do hormônio androgênico nandrolona (Deca-Durabolin®) em camundongos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise do potencial mutagênico dos esteroides anabólicos androgênicos (EAA) e da l-carnitina mediante o teste do micronúcleo em eritrócitos policromáticos

INTRODUCTION: Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are frequently used by people whose aim to increase muscle mass to obtain a better performance in sports or improve physical appearance. AAS are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, able to promote muscle fibers hypertrophy, increasing intracellular protein synthesis. L-carnitine is a food supplement used to increase energetic production by means of fat acids oxidation. Although there are several works about physiological properties of these drugs, there are few studies about their mutagenic potential. OBJECTIVES: This work evaluated the clastogenicity and genotoxicity of nandrolone decanoate, testosterone decanoate and L-carnitine, in different treatments through the micronucleus test in polychromatic erythrocytes of Wistar rats. METHODS: The animals were submitted to different concentrations and associations of AAS. The positive control received cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection and negative control, one ml of saline solution by gavage. The rats were sacrificed after 36 hours of latest application, having the femurs removed and the bone marrow extracted. Material was homogenized and centrifuged. Button cell was pipetted and transferred to slides, which were stained by Giemsa. 1,000 polychromatic erythrocytes were counted per animal, noting the frequency of micronuclei. RESULTS: The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed, with a significance level of 5%, which demonstrated that nandrolone decanoate - three doses of 0,2 mg/kg and 0,6 mg/kg, eight doses of 7,5 mg/kg, L-carnitine - seven doses of 0,4 ml/250 g and 1,5 ml/250 g, testosterone decanoate - 28 doses of 0,075 mg/kg, nandrolone decanoate - eight doses of 7,5 mg/kg associated to L-carnitine and 1 mL and nandrolone decanoate - eight doses of 7,5 mg/kg associated to testosterone decanoate - eight doses of 7,5 mg/kg, showed mutagenic potential. CONCLUSION: The treatments proved to be clastogenic, not being indicated like ergogenic aid.

Cardiovascular Complications following Chronic Treatment with Cocaine and Testosterone in Adolescent Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aerobic Exercise Training Prevents Heart Failure-Induced Skeletal Muscle Atrophy by Anti-Catabolic, but Not Anabolic Actions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Analysis of Steroids using Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS-MS)

Direct immersion SPME-GC-MS-MS was used for the analysis of steroids in water at part-per-trillion(ppt) and lower concentrations. The method was validated and extended to real sample analysis. The method were linear from 0.01 to 5 ng/ml with precision less than 10% relative standard deviation for a steroid mixture at 1 ng/ml. Limit of quantitation and limit of detection was found to be 200- 1200 pg/L and 30-200 pg/L respectively and recoveries ranged from 88-103 %. To understand the extraction efficiency of the fiber, a depletion study was performed. The fiber/ sample partition coefficients for the steroids were determined to be 1.0 x 104 to 1.5 x 104 . The extraction was performed without derivatization or the use of an internal standard. SPMEGC-MS-MS effectively demonstrated ultra-trace level detection of steroids in water.