title: Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in rats chronically treated with anabolic steroid.
abstract: To date no published data exist regarding the effects of chronic high-dose anabolic-androgenic steroid administration on tonic cardiac autonomic control. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), the effects of chronic treatment with supraphysiological doses of nandrolone decanoate (DECA) on tonic cardiac autonomic regulation in sedentary rats. Male Wistar rats were treated weekly with 10 mg kg(-1) of DECA (n=7) or vehicle (CONTROL, n=7) for 10 weeks. At the 8th week of treatment, electrocardiogram was recorded in the conscious state, for time- and frequency-domain HRV analysis. Parasympathetic indexes were reduced in DECA group: high-frequency power (CONTROL=11.1+/-3.0 ms2 vs. DECA=3.8+/-0.6 ms2, P<0.05), RMSSD (CONTROL=5.9+/-0.9 ms vs. DECA 3.5+/-0.3 ms; P<0.05) and pNN5 (CONTROL=31.5+/-7.5 ms vs. DECA=13.2+/-2.6 ms; P<0.05). The sympathetic index LF/HF tended to be higher in DECA group (CONTROL=0.65+/-0.15 vs. DECA=1.17+/-0.26, P=0.0546). In conclusion, chronic treatment with DECA, in rats, impairs tonic cardiac autonomic regulation, which may provide a key mechanism for anabolic steroid-induced arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Eletrofisiologia Cardíaca Antonio Paes de Carvalho, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, CCS, Bloco G, Ilha do Fundao, 21949-900, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Pereira-Junior
authors.forename: Elen A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Ricardo H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Costa-E-Sousa
authors.forename: Masako O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Antonio C Campos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: José H M
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003243:Consciousness; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D009277:Nandrolone; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate