Impact of chronic administration of anabolic androgenic steroids and taurine on blood pressure in rats

Beneficial Effects of Taurine on Metabolic Parameters in Animals and Humans

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a non-essential amino acid mainly obtained through diet in humans. Despite the lack of research on the health effects of taurine in animals and humans, it is widely used as a dietary supplement. Evidence from human and animal studies indicates that taurine is involved in conjugation of bile acids and regulation of blood pressure and has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesogenic properties. Taurine can benefit both human and non-human animal health in multiple ways. However, few interventional and epidemiological studies regarding the beneficial impacts of taurine in humans and other animals have been conducted. Here, we review the evidence from animal and human studies showing that taurine protects against dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

Taurine and Its Derivatives: Analysis of the Inhibitory Effect on Platelet Function and Their Antithrombotic Potential

Taurine is a semi-essential, the most abundant free amino acid in the human body, with a six times higher concentration in platelets than any other amino acid. It is highly beneficial for the organism, has many therapeutic actions, and is currently approved for heart failure treatment in Japan. Taurine has been repeatedly reported to elicit an inhibitory action on platelet activation and aggregation, sustained by in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro animal and human studies. Taurine showed effectiveness in several pathologies involving thrombotic diathesis, such as diabetes, traumatic brain injury, acute ischemic stroke, and others. As human prospective studies on thrombosis outcome are very difficult to carry out, there is an obvious need to validate existing findings, and bring new compelling data about the mechanisms underlying taurine and derivatives antiplatelet action and their antithrombotic potential. Chloramine derivatives of taurine proved a higher stability and pronounced selectivity for platelet receptors, raising the assumption that they could represent future potential antithrombotic agents. Considering that taurine and its analogues display permissible side effects, along with the need of finding new, alternative antithrombotic drugs with minimal side effects and long-term action, the potential clinical relevance of this fascinating nutrient and its derivatives requires further consideration.

SWIM TRAINING REVERSES SOME EFFECTS OF NANDROLONE DECANOATE IN WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT Introduction: The indiscriminate use of androgenic steroids may have deleterious effects on human tissue. Objectives: Evaluate the effects of chronic administration of the steroid nandrolone decanoate (DECA) on autonomic cardiovascular modulation, kidney morphometry and the association between these variables in Wistar rats subjected to physical training with swimming. Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats aged 20 weeks were distributed among four experimental groups according to the training received: sedentary control (SC), sedentary treated with DECA (SD), trained control (TC) and trained treated with DECA (TD). The hemodynamic parameters, including blood pressure and variations in systolic blood pressure (SBPV) and diastolic blood pressure (DBPV), and kidney morphometry were evaluated. The level of significance adopted was 5%. Results: The SD group had higher baseline SBP and DBP values when compared to the SC, TC and TD groups, which were similar to each other. The rats in the SD group had higher systolic blood pressure (SBPV) and diastolic blood pressure (DBPV) variation values and higher absolute and normalized values in the LF band of the DBPV when compared to the animals in the SC, TC and TD groups. The animals in the SD group had a significantly higher rate of kidney fibrosis compared to the SC, TC and TD groups. There were no significant differences between the sympathetic modulation of SBPV through the LF component and kidney fibrosis. Conclusions: Physical training with swimming was effective in preventing the increase in blood pressure levels and lowering the occurrence of kidney fibrosis in animals treated with anabolic steroids. Level of Evidence IV; Series of cases .

Effects of Exogenous Androgens on Platelet Activity and Their Thrombogenic Potential in Supraphysiological Administration: A Literature Review

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), simply called “androgens”, represent the most widespread drugs used to enhance performance and appearance in a sporting environment. High-dosage and/or long-term AAS administration has been associated frequently with significant alterations in the cardiovascular system, some of these with severe endpoints. The induction of a prothrombotic state is probably the most life-threatening consequence, suggested by numerous case reports in AAS-abusing athletes, and by a considerable number of human and animal studies assessing the influence of exogenous androgens on hemostasis. Despite over fifty years of research, data regarding the thrombogenic potential of exogenous androgens are still scarce. The main reason is the limited possibility of conducting human prospective studies. However, human observational studies conducted in athletes or patients, in vitro human studies, and animal experiments have pointed out that androgens in supraphysiological doses induce enhanced platelet activity and thrombopoiesis, leading to increased platelet aggregation. If this tendency overlaps previously existing coagulation and/or fibrinolysis dysfunctions, it may lead to a thrombotic diathesis, which could explain the multitude of thromboembolic events reported in the AAS-abusing population. The influence of androgen excess on the platelet activity and fluid–coagulant balance remains a subject of debate, urging for supplementary studies in order to clarify the effects on hemostasis, and to provide new compelling evidence for their claimed thrombogenic potential.

Ischemic Preconditioning Efficacy Following Anabolic Steroid Usage: A Clear Difference Between Sedentary and Exercise-Trained Rat Hearts

Previous studies show that anabolic steroids impair innate cardioprotective mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effect of supraphysiological doses of nandrolone on ischemic preconditioning (IPC) as a potent cardioprotective tool against ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury in rat hearts. Male Wistar rats in two experimental settings of sedentary and exercise-trained (60 min/day swimming, 5 days/week, for 8 weeks) were either pretreated with intramuscular injections of arachis oil (Arach, n = 16) as vehicle or nandrolone decanoate (ND, n = 8), 10 mg/kg/week, for 8 weeks. At the end, the hearts were excised and perfused in a Langendorff system. Then, the vehicle-treated hearts subdivided into the IR (30 min of LAD coronary artery occlusion and 120 min reperfusion, n = 8) and IPC (three cycles of 3-min ischemia and 3-min reperfusion before test ischemia, n = 8) groups and nandrolone-treated hearts served as ND + IPC (nandrolone pretreatment before IR and IPC protocols, n = 8) group. Post-ischemic cardiac function and infarct size were assessed. Reperfusion arrhythmias were analyzed using a standard scoring system. In sedentary hearts, ND slightly increased heart-to-body weight ratio and increased baseline cardiac contractile function. In trained hearts, ND markedly increased heart-to-body weight ratio which was also associated with enhanced baseline cardiac function. ND pretreatment enhanced protective effects of IPC in sedentary group; however, abolished these effects in exercise-trained group. The arrhythmia score was not significantly different between nandrolone-treated groups vs. respective preconditioned groups. Our findings show that ND impairs IPC-induced cardioprotection in exercise-trained rat hearts. Cardiac hypertrophy seems to play a crucial role in this response.

A career in sport does not eliminate risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the cardiovascular health of field-based athletes

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in current field-based athletes.

DESIGN

Meta-analysis.

METHODS

This review was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA and pre-registered with PROSPERO. Articles were retrieved via online database search engines, with no date or language restriction. Studies investigating current field-based athletes (>18years) for CVD risk factors according to the European Society of Cardiology and American Heart Association were screened. Full texts were screened using Covidence and Cochrane criteria. Eligible articles were critically appraised using the AXIS tool. Individual study estimates were assessed by random-effect meta-analyses to examine the overall effect.

RESULTS

This study was ascribed a 1b evidence level, according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine. 41 studies were identified, including 5546 athletes from four sports; American football; soccer; rugby and baseball mean ages: 18-28. Despite participation in sport, increased body mass was associated with increased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, hypertension, systolic blood pressure, and decreased high-density lipoprotein. Linemen had increased prevalence of hypertension compared to non-athletes. Conflicting findings on fasting glucose were prevalent. There were inconsistencies in screening and reporting of CVD risk factors. Sport specific anthropometric demands were associated with elevated prevalence of CVD risk factors, most notably: elevated body mass; dyslipidemia; elevated systolic blood pressure and; glucose.

CONCLUSIONS

There are elevated levels of risk for CVD in some athletes, primarily football players. Lifestyle behaviours associated with elite athleticism, particularly football linemen potentially expose players to greater metabolic and CVD risk, which is not completely offset by sport participation.

Abuse of androgenic anabolic drugs with "Cycling" induces hepatic steatosis in adult male mice

BACKGROUND

The importance of the present study comes from the lack of sufficient information about the reversibility of the potential hepatic histopathological alterations which may result from anabolic androgenic drugs abuse by "Cycling" protocol. So, the aim of this study is to explore the negative effects of Deca-Durabolin abuse in hepatic function and structure during an administration cycle.

METHODS

For our purpose, study was performed on 40 male adult mices. Animals were divided into five groups of 8 animals each treated weekly by Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate) at 30 g/kg of BW during one month (GI); during two months (GII); during three months (GIII); during three months followed by six weeks of treatment discontinuation (GIV) and Control (C). Plasma assay of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and cytohistological examination to determine the histopathological damage properties of the liver were performed.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the animals supported very well the administrated substance. Our study showed an increase in plasma levels of liver enzymes (ALT and AST) with the duration of treatment accompanied by important degenerative changes in hepatic tissue with peliosis evolution after two months of treatment. These damages worsen again 6 weeks after stopping treatment and ended by the development of hepatic steatosis with increases hepatic distress.

CONCLUSION

These results ported that the use of AAS with "Cycling" may lead to the development of hepatic steatosis before progressing to more serious pathological liver situations in AAS abusers.

Evolutions in cardiac and gonadal ultra-structure during a "cycle" of androgenic anabolic abuse in adult male mice

BACKGROUND

The importance of the present study comes from the lack of sufficient information about the reversibility of the potential histopathological alterations which may result from anabolic androgenic drugs abuse by "Cycling" protocol. So, the aim of this study is to explore the negative effects of Deca-Durabolin abuse in cardiac and gonadal ultra-structures during an administration cycle.

METHODS

For our purpose, study was performed on 40 male adult mices. Animals were divided into five groups of 8 animals each treated weekly by Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate) at 30 g/kg of BW during one month (GI); during two months (GII); during three months (GIII); during three months followed by six weeks of treatment discontinuation (GIV) and Control (C). Cytohistological examinations to determine the histopathological damage properties of the heart and tests were performed.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the animals supported very well the administrated substance. Our study showed important degenerative changes in cardiac and gonadal tissues after one months of androgen abuse. These damages increases with the duration of treatment with well marked cell lesions, and worsen again 6 weeks after stopping treatment in cardiac tissue, whereas the gonadal tissue does not recover completely during this period.

CONCLUSION

These results ported that the use of AAS with "Cycling" may lead to irreversibly destroy the heart tissue. Either, "Cycling" does not ensure the complete recovery of fertility in AAS abusers.

Lipid Profile Changes Induced by Chronic Administration of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids and Taurine in Rats

Background and Objectives: Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), used as a therapy in various diseases and abused in sports, are atherogenic in supraphysiological administration, altering the plasma lipid profile. Taurine, a conditionally-essential amino acid often used in dietary supplements, was acknowledged to delay the onset and progression of atherogenesis, and to mitigate hyperlipidemia. The aim of the present study was to verify if taurine could prevent the alterations induced by concomitant chronic administration of high doses of AAS nandrolone decanoate (DECA) in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats, assigned to 4 equal groups, were treated for 12 weeks either with DECA (A group), taurine (T group), both DECA and taurine (AT group) or vehicle (C group). Plasma triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hepatic triglycerides (TGh) and liver non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were then determined. Results: DECA elevated TG level in A group vs. control (p = 0.01), an increase prevented by taurine association in AT group (p = 0.04). DECA decreased HDL-C in A group vs. control (p = 0.02), while taurine tended to increase it in AT group. DECA decreased TGh (p = 0.02) in A group vs. control. Taurine decreased TGh in T (p = 0.004) and AT (p < 0.001) groups vs. control and tended to lower NEFA (p = 0.08) in AT group vs. A group. Neither DECA, nor taurine influenced TC and LDL-C levels. Conclusions: Taurine partially prevented the occurrence of DECA negative effects on lipid profile, suggesting a therapeutic potential in several conditions associated with chronic high levels of plasma androgens, such as endocrine disorders or AAS-abuse.

A preclinical study to model taurine pharmokinetics in the undernourished rat

Malnutrition is a common feature of chronic and acute diseases, often associated with a poor prognosis, including worsening of clinical outcome, owing, among other factors, to dysfunction of the most internal organs and systems affecting the absorption, metabolism and elimination of drugs and nutrients. Taurine is involved in numerous biological processes and is required in increased amounts in response to pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the behaviour of taurine in well-nourished (WN) rats and to analyse the influence of protein-energy undernutrition on the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of taurine, using a PK model. Wistar rats were randomly distributed into two groups, WN and undernourished (UN), and taurine was administered intravenously or orally at different doses: 1, 10 and 100 mg. Population pharmacokinetic modelling of plasma levels was performed using the NONMEM 7.2 program. Several distribution and absorption models were explored in combination with dose and/or time covariate effects. Covariates such as nutritional status, serum albumin, body weight and score of undernutrition were used. A two-compartment population pharmacokinetic model with zero-order endogenous formation, passive absorption, first-order kinetics distribution and non-linear elimination with parallel Michaelis-Menten excretion and reabsorption processes best described taurine pharmacokinetics. Undernutrition acted as a covariate reducing the V max of the active elimination process. Data analysis showed linear absorption and distribution, and non-linear elimination processes for taurine. Elimination of taurine was reduced in UN animals, suggesting that the reabsorption process via the secretion transporter was modified in that group.

Reversible effects of anabolic steroid abuse on cyto-architectures of the heart, kidneys and testis in adult male mice

The importance of the present study comes from the lack of sufficient information about the reversibility of the histopathological alterations which may result from anabolic androgenic drugs abuse after some times of stop treatment, as it is one of the prior studies which explored the negative effects of Deca-Durabolin abuse in particular on the hearts, kidneys and testis structures. For this aim, study was performed on 40 male adult mices. Animals were divided into five groups of 8 animals each as follows: treated by Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate) at 30 g/kg of BW, weekly during one month (GI); two months (GII); three months (GIII); three months followed by six weeks of treatment discontinuation (GIV) and Control (C). Cytohistological exam was performed to determine histopathological damage in heart, kidney and testis tissues. Results showed that the treated animals supported very well the administrated substance. The increase in muscle strength and the absence of aggression were the most noticeable traits in longer-term treated groups. In addition, the gains in body and heart weights increase with duration of treatment and even more after stopping treatment. Our study showed important degenerative changes and disorganization of the histological structure of heart, kidney and testis in the animals of GIII. These damages worsen again 6 weeks after stopping treatment in heart and kidney, and repairs incompletely in the testis. In conclusion, these results confirmed that the use of AAS is associated with a lot of deleterious effects on the cardiac, nephritic and gonadic tissues which cannot be reversible.