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Esposito M, Salerno M, Calvano G, Agliozzo R, Ficarra V, Sessa F, Favilla V, Cimino S, Pomara C. Impact of anabolic androgenic steroids on male sexual and reproductive function: a systematic review. Panminerva Med 2023; 65:43-50. [PMID: 35146992 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.22.04677-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) are a complex cluster of synthetic derivatives of testosterone. AAS abuse is considered a major public health issue since it has increased among young/adolescent males. The use of steroids has a prevalence rate of 14% in young athletes and 30-75% in professional athletes or bodybuilders. AASs simulate the testosterone mechanism, binding the intracellular androgen receptor, and dysregulating the normal hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the same way as exogenous testosterone. Abuse can produce several side effects on organs, such as the genital system. The physio-pathological mechanisms that cause AAS abuse-related, genital system disorders in humans are still not completely known. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION This study focuses on the effect of AASs on the male reproductive organs in humans and animals. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS A systematic review was performed using SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Sciences database up to 31 December 2021 using the keywords: "anabolic-androgenic steroids," "erectile dysfunction," "spermatogenesis" and "infertility;" (anabolic agents) "erectile dysfunction," "spermatogenesis" and "infertility." The review of the literature identified 66 articles published until 2021. Sixty-two articles were included. The use of AASs induces testicular atrophy and azoospermia known as "anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism." Anabolic steroid induced infertility is characterized by oligo or azoospermia and abnormalities in sperm motility and morphology. Although sperm quality recovers in most cases within 4 months of stopping anabolic steroid abuse, the negative consequences on spermatogenesis can take up to 3 years to disappear. Human studies reported a positive correlation between AAS abuse in athletes and an increase in morphologically abnormal spermatozoa. Animal studies showed the destruction of Leydig cells and testicular atrophy in animals treated with cycles of AASs. CONCLUSIONS The present review of the literature highlights how little is known about the action of AASs on the male genital system. However, although their use is prohibited in many countries, the black market for these substances is still very frequent. The scientific landscape still has a lot to invest in the research of AAS on the male genital system to make young people even more aware of the negative aspects of these substances, contributing to the reduction of these products in an inappropriate way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Esposito
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia, " University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Monica Salerno
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia, " University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Gianluca Calvano
- Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Roberta Agliozzo
- Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Ficarra
- Section of Urology, Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology Gaetano Barresi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Sessa
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia, " University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Favilla
- Section of Urology, Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology Gaetano Barresi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cimino
- Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Cristoforo Pomara
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia, " University of Catania, Catania, Italy -
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Lourenço Í, Krause Neto W, Amorim LDSP, Ortiz VMM, Geraldo VL, Ferreira GHDS, de Lima JT, Massoni AAR, Oliveira BM, Anaruma CA, Ciena AP, Gama EF, Caperuto ÉC. Previous short-term use of testosterone propionate enhances muscle hypertrophy in Wistar rats submitted to ladder-based resistance training. Tissue Cell 2022; 75:101741. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2022.101741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Wu X, Zhu Y, Yang M, Zhang J, Lin D. Biological responses of Eisenia fetida towards the exposure and metabolism of tris (2-butoxyethyl) phosphate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 811:152285. [PMID: 34933047 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity of various organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) is of increasing concern. However, there is still a lack of research on the toxicity of OPFRs to terrestrial invertebrates and its metabolism in vivo. Herein, earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were exposed to soil spiked with 0, 0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg/kg tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP, a typical alkyl OPFRs) for 28 d to study the biological responses to the exposure and metabolism of TBOEP. TBOEP exposure inhibited the activity of acetyl-cholinesterase (64.4-68.6% of that in the control group), increased the energy consumption level, and affected calcium-dependent pathways of E. fetida, which caused a 3.6-12.4% reduction in the weight gain rate (developmental toxicity), a 10.6-69.4% reduction in the number of juveniles (reproduction toxicity), and neurotoxicity to E. fetida. The 5 mg/kg TBOEP exposure caused a significant accumulation of malondialdehyde (1.68 times higher than that in the control group) in E. fetida, which indicated that the balance of oxidation and anti-oxidation of E. fetida was broken. Meanwhile, E. fetida maintained the absorption and metabolic abilities to TBOEP under the environmental condition. The removal rate of soil TBOEP was increased by 25.1-35.5% by the presence of E. fetida. Importantly, TBOEP could accumulate in E. fetida (0.09-76.0 μg/kg) and the activation of cytochrome P450 and glutathione detoxification pathway promoted the metabolism of TBOEP in E. fetida. These findings link the biological responses and metabolic behavior of earthworms under pollution stress and provide fundamental data for the environmental risk assessment and pollution removal of OPFRs in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ya Zhu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Watershed Science and Health, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Meirui Yang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianying Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Daohui Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Organic Pollution Process and Control, Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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