Cardiovascular Toxicities of Nandrolone and Cocaine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract

Cardiovascular Toxicities of Nandrolone and Cocaine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Tseng, Y. T., Rockhold, R. W., Hoskins, B., and Ho, I. K. (1994). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 22, 113-121.The outcome of concurrent abuse of cocaine and anabolic steroids is largely unknown and merits investigation. The present study was designed to determine whether an animal model could be developed for investigation of the toxic responses to simultaneous administration of cocaine and an anabolic steroid, nandrolone decanoate. Twenty-four male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), all 7 weeks of age, were assigned randomly to four groups: (1) control, (2) cocaine, (3) nandrolone, and (4) cocaine plus nandrolone. Metabolic measurements and indirect (tail-cuff) blood pressure and heart rate measurements were performed on all rats every 2 weeks. All drug treatment groups exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of blood pressure after 6 weeks of treatment when compared to the control group. Cocaine plus nandrolone group exhibited the lowest heart rate compared to other groups. Rats were euthanized at 13 weeks of age, and different tissues were removed, blotted dry, and weighed. The kidney, levator ani muscle, and seminal vesicle (with prostate glands) weights in both nandrolone-receiving groups were higher than those of the control and cocaine groups. Testicular weights of the cocaine plus nandrolone group were less than those of the control and cocaine groups. Hearts were fixed in 10% buffered formaldehyde before myocardial dimension measurements were performed. The nandrolone group showed increased vertical ventricular diameters when compared to the control and cocaine groups. The nandrolone group also displayed higher vertical ventricular circumferences when compared to all the other groups. Finally, the cocaine plus nandrolone group had the greatest ventricular weights (per 100 g body weight) and left ventricular volumes. Myocardial inflammatory and fibrotic changes were significantly more evident in rats treated with nandrolone or cocaine plus nandrolone than in rats treated with vehicle or cocaine alone. The data suggest a potential for significant interactions between pharmacological and toxic responses to cocaine and nandrolone during the developing phase of hypertension in SHR.