Proposed mechanisms for the anabolic steriod-induced increase in myocardial susceptibility to ischaemia/reperfusion injury

Date
2005-02
Authors
Du Toit, E. F.
Rossouw, E.
Van Rooyen, J.
Lochner, A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Clinics Cardiv Publishing
Abstract
Androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are often used by athletes to enhance athletic performance but are strongly associated with detrimental cardiovascular effects including sudden cardiac death. Hypothesis: AAS use increases myocardial susceptibility to ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Methods: Rats were trained (swimming) with or without intramuscular injection of nandrolone laurate (0.375 mg/kg). Untrained rats with or without nandrolone served as controls. Hearts were mounted on the Langendorff perfusion apparatus and mechanical function was measured before and after 20-min normothermic global ischaemia. Myocardial tissue samples were collected for determination of tissue cyclic nucleotide and TNFα concentrations. Results: Anabolic steroids decreased the rate pressure product (RPP) of the exercise-trained rat heart [34 582 ± 1 778 mmHg/min vs 28 868 ± 2 446 mmHg/min for exercise-trained steroid-treated hearts (p < 0.05)]. Reperfusion RPP was lower in both the sedentary, and the exercise-trained, steroid-treated hearts than in their concurrent vehicle-treated controls (18 276 ± 2 026 mmHg/min vs 12 018 ± 1 725 mmHg/min for sedentary steroid-treated hearts and, 21 892 ± 2 912 mmHg vs 12 838 ± 1 536 mmHg/min for exercise-trained steroidtreated hearts). Myocardial TNFα [267.75 ± 44.25 pg/g vs 190.00 ± 15.75 pg/g (p < 0.05)] and cAMP concentrations [406.04 ± 18.41 pmol/g vs 235.6 ± 43.26 pmol/g
Description
The original publication is available at http://www.cvja.co.za/
Includes bibliography.
Keywords
Anabolic steriods, Athletic performance, Cardiovascular effects, Cardiovascular diseases -- Mortality, Cardiovascular diseases -- Effect of anabolic steroids on
Citation
Du Toit, E.F., Rossouw, E., Van Rooyen, J. & Lochner, A. 2005. Proposed mechanisms for the anabolic steriod-induced increase in myocardial susceptibility to ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Cardiovascular Journal of South Africa, 16(1), 21-28