title: Oxymetholone modulates cell-mediated immunity in male B6C3F1 mice.
abstract: Oxymetholone is a synthetic androgen, structurally related to testosterone. It is currently used to treat anemias, but has also been abused as a performance enhancing anabolic steroid by the sport community. Concern about its suspected immunomodulatory properties provided the incentive for a detailed investigation into its effects on the mammalian immune system. In this study, male B6C3F1 mice were treated for 14 d with oxymetholone (0, 50, 150, and 300 mg/kg) by gastric intubation, then evaluated for immunotoxicity using a panel of immunotoxicity assays. Except for an increasing trend in kidney and liver weights, and a dose-dependent increase in serum blood urea nitrogen levels, no other signs of systemic toxicity were observed. Bone marrow DNA synthesis was reduced, though this did not translate into alterations in myeloid or monocyte colony forming units. Spleen B and T cell numbers, antibody response to sheep red blood cells, proliferative response to both mitogen and immunoglobulin receptor immunogens, and NK cell activity were all unaltered in mice treated with oxymetholone. Peritoneal macrophage activity was also unaffected by oxymetholone treatment. A 38% decrease in the spleen cell mixed leukocyte response, and a 15% decrease in cytotoxic T cell activity, measured in the highest oxymetholone treatment group, indicate that cell-mediated immunity was impaired following exposure. This immunomodulation did not however, translate into a change in host resistance to Listeria monocytogenes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-6013, USA.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Karrow
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musgrove
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Munson
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D010110:Oxymetholone / Q000633:toxicity*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D010110:Oxymetholone