title: Nandrolone-pretreatment enhances cardiac beta(2)-adrenoceptor expression and reverses heart contractile down-regulation in the post-stress period of acute-stressed rats.
abstract: To investigate whether nandrolone decanoate (ND)-pretreatment can modulate (1) beta-adrenoceptor expression and (2) myocardial contractility in response to beta-adrenoceptors stimulation with isoproterenol (ISO), in hearts of both normal and stressed rats. Rats were treated with 15 mg/(kgday) of Deca-Durabolin (ND, 1 ml i.m.) or with vehicle (oil) for 14 days. The day after the last injection, the dose-response to ISO (1 x 10(-8), 5 x 10(-8) and 10(-7)M), was studied in isolated rat hearts harvested from unstressed animals (unstressed+vehicle (control) or unstressed+ND) or from stressed animals (stressed+vehicle or stressed+ND): acute stress protocol consisted in restrain for 1h immediately before sacrifice. ND-pretreatment increased beta(2)-adrenoceptor expression. In baseline conditions all hearts had a similar left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and maximum rate of increase of LVDP (dP/dt(max)). In hearts of unstressed+vehicle or unstressed+ND, ISO caused a similar increase in LVDP (+90-100%) and dP/dt(max) (+120-150%). However, hearts of stressed+vehicle animals showed a marked depression of inotropic response to ISO (i.e. for ISO 1 x 10(-8),-55% in LVDP response versus unstressed). Yet, in hearts of stressed+ND-animals the effect of stress was reversed, showing the highest response to ISO (i.e. for ISO 1 x 10(-7), +30% LVDP response versus unstressed). The ND-induced beta(2)-adrenoceptor overexpression does not affect ISO-response in unstressed animals. However, acute stress induces a down-regulation of ISO-response, which is reversed by ND-pretreatment. Since the physiological post-stress down-regulation of adrenergic-response is absent after nandrolone treatment, the heart may be exposed to a sympathetic over-stimulation. This might represent a risk for cardiovascular incidents in anabolic steroid addicts under stressing conditions.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università di Torino, Ospedale S. Luigi, Regione Gonzole, 10043 Orbassano, (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbadessa
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mancardi
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spaccamiglio
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racca
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pagliaro
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D009277:Nandrolone; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate