The role of sex differences in the effect of anabolics on the liver.
The effect of two anabolic steroids, norandrostenolone-phenylpropionate (Nerobolil) and norandrostenolone-decanoate (Retabolil) on the liver was studied in rats. Body weight, wet liver weight and the protein content of the liver homogenisates were found to increase under the effect of anabolic treatment, the most explicitely in females treated with Nerobolil. The function of the liver to metabolize hexobarbital, measured in vivo, is increased by a single dose of anabolic. The prolongation of treatment keeps on shortening hexobarbital anaesthesia only in females. Even 8 weeks after the end of treatment the effect is invariably lasting in females, in males it is not. Studies of the vaginal cycle cannot prove a decline of ovarial function. In females the hepatotropic effect of anabolic treatment, performed simultaneously with the chronic carbon tetrachloride lesion can be demonstrated. The liver weight and protein content are maintained on the control level. Under the effect of anabolic treatment the function to metabolize the effect of anabolic treatment the function to metabolize hexobarbital, which has been impaired by the lesion, remains near the level of the untreated animals. Our experiments support the observations of the inductive property of the steroids being parallel to their anabolic characteristics. Their catatoxic effect is pronounced in females. Nerobolil was found to be more advantageous from the point of view of both anabolic and hepatotropic effect. Our experiments do not suggest the possibility of liver damage during the administration of these two anabolics. The effect of the anabolics on the enzymatic induction may be of therapeutic value when adequate preparations are selected and sex differences as well as the character of the liver damage are taken into consideration.
D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D004963:Estrenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006591:Hexobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008598:Menstruation / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D004963:Estrenes; D011506:Proteins; D006591:Hexobarbital