title: Testosterone reduced methylprednisolone-induced muscle atrophy in spinal cord-injured rats.
abstract: METHODS
  Male rats with complete transections of the spinal cord were administered vehicle or methylprednisolone (MP) for 24 h, with or without infusion, for 7 days, of testosterone at either a replacement or low pharmacological doses. Muscles were collected at 7 days after SCI.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to determine, in a rat model of complete spinal cord transection, whether testosterone reduces muscle atrophy or upregulates muscle atrophy-linked genes, induced by 24 h of MP administration at doses comparable to those prescribed in man during the period immediately following acute spinal cord injury (SCI) in an attempt to preserve neurological function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MP significantly reduced the mass of triceps, soleus and plantaris, and significantly increased expression of genes that promote atrophy. Testosterone significantly reduced muscle atrophy induced by MP, but did not prevent it; there was no difference between low- or high-dose testosterone in reducing MP-induced muscle loss. High-dose testosterone reduced expression of muscle atrophy genes more than did low dose. Testosterone-induced declines in mRNA levels for these atrophy-associated genes did not correlate well with protection against MP-induced muscle atrophy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MP induces marked and lasting changes in the biology of muscle that persisted for at least 7 days, or 6 days after MP has been eliminated from the body. Testosterone partially protected against muscle atrophy and gene expression changes caused by 1 day of MP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Excellence for the Medical Consequences of Spinal Cord Injury, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Cardozo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000633:toxicity*; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013739:Testosterone; D008775:Methylprednisolone