ATP and LPL histochemical activity of rat cardiomyocytes and adipocytes treated with androgenic anabolic steroids.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of short-term and long-term treatment with retabolil, an androgenic anabolic steroid, on the activity of the enzymes ATP and LPL in rat cardiomyocytes and adipocytes.


METHODS
Six male Wistar rats (mean weight 195-200 g.) were given retabolil 50 mg/kg once subcutaneously, another six were treated with retabolil at the same dose subcutaneously once a week for 6 weeks and another six were used as controls treating them with physiological saline in the same way. After six weeks the animals were sacrificed. Fragments of the left ventricle of the heart and of the subcutaneous tissue from the gluteal region were resected and enzyme-histochemical reactions for ATP and LPL were performed on fresh cryostat sections.


RESULTS
The cardiomyocytes of the rats treated only once with retabolil showed no changes in the ATP and LPL activity in comparison with the controls. In the rats given a long-term treatment with retabolil, the enzyme-histochemical reaction for ATP was better expressed while that for LPL was weak. The subcutaneous adipose tissue of the long-term retabolil-treated animals contained some adipocytes that expressed positive LPL and ATP activity.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that androgenic anabolic steroids exert an effect on the activity of the enzymes ATP and LPL in rat cardiomyocytes and adipocytes which depends on the duration of treatment.
Delchev
Slavi D
SD
Department of Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Atanassova
Pepa K
PK
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
D045930:Anabolic Agents; D009277:Nandrolone; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate