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Abstract
Abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) by athletes has been increased rapidly in many countries to improve their physical fitness and appearance. The abuses of AASs have been associated with impacts on different systems of the body. The present study was conducted to evaluate the histological changes that occurred in skeletal and cardiac muscles during nandrolone (one of AASs) treatment histologically and immunohistochmically. Forty adult male albino rats were divided into four groups. Group 1; control group, group 2; was treated with nandrolone 5 mg/kg intramuscularly weekly, group 3 was treated with nandrolone10 mg/kg intramuscularly weekly and group 4; was treated with nandrolone 20 mg/kg intramuscularly weekly. All groups were treated for 8 weeks. The specimens from the cardiac and skeletal muscles were processed for histological study using light and electron microscopes and immunohistochemical stain for detection of activated caspase-3 as an indicator for apoptotic changes. The skeletal and cardiac muscles appeared hypertrophied after nandrolone treatment. Lesions ranged from mild to severe muscular changes were also detected depending on the dose. The changes were in the form of variations of fibers size and splitting of some fibers in skeletal muscle as well as myofiber lysis, cellular infiltration, vacuolation, swelling and mitochondrial damage in both skeletal and cardiac muscles. The nuclei appeared hyperchromatic with peripherally clumped chromatin. Expression of caspase-3 was significantly increased in skeletal and cardiac tissues treated with higher doses of nandrolone. It is concluded that nandrolone injection in male albino rats induced hypertrophy and degenerative changes in the skeletal and cardiac muscles which may lead to loss of their functions.
Highlights
Anabolic steroid is a synthetic variety of the male sex hormone testosterone
Group I (Control group): Rats of control subgroup which was injected with corn oil showed no significant difference in the body weight compared to the negative control subgroup1A
Experimental groups: Rats of both low-dose, and moderate-dose nandrolone treated groups showed a similar growth with no difference in the body weight gain compared to the control group
Summary
Anabolic steroid is a synthetic variety of the male sex hormone testosterone. The anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) is the expression commonly used for these compounds [1]. They are structurally and functionally similar to testosterone [2]. The androgenic effects are visible on reproductive tissues, like testes, seminal vesicle and prostate. While the anabolic effects are the nitrogen-retaining effects in muscle and bone [3]. Different mechanism of action of AAS may exist as a result of presence of variable steroid molecules with altered action on the androgen receptors
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