title: Anabolic/androgenic steroid administration during adolescence and adulthood differentially modulates aggression and anxiety.
abstract: Anabolic/androgenic steroid (AAS) use remains high in both teens and adults in the U.S. and worldwide despite studies showing that AAS use is associated with a higher incidence of aggression and anxiety. Recently we showed that chronic exposure to AAS through adolescence increases aggression and decreases anxious behaviors, while during AAS-withdrawal aggression is lowered to species-normative levels and anxiety increases. AAS exposure is known to differentially alter behaviors and their underlying neural substrates between adults and adolescents and thus the current study investigated whether exposure to AAS during adulthood affects the relationship between aggression and anxiety in a manner similar to that previously observed in adolescents. Male hamsters were administered a moderate dose of AAS (5.0mg/kg/day×30days) during adolescence (P27-56) or young adulthood (P65-P94) and then tested for aggression and anxiety during AAS exposure (i.e., on P57 or P95) and during AAS withdrawal (i.e., 30days later on P77 or P115). Adolescent exposure to AAS increased aggressive responding during the AAS exposure period and anxiety-like responding during AAS withdrawal. Neither behavior was similarly influenced by adult exposure to AAS. Adult AAS exposure produced no difference in aggressive responding during AAS exposure (P95) or AAS withdrawal (P115); however, while AAS exposure during adulthood produced no difference in anxiety-like responding during AAS exposure, adult hamsters administered AAS were less anxious than vehicle control animals following AAS withdrawal. Together these data suggest that the aggression and anxiety provoking influence of AAS are likely a developmental phenomenon and that adult exposure to AAS may be anxiolytic over the long term.
authors: Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, USA.
authors: Thomas R
authors: TR
authors: Morrison
authors: Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, USA.
authors: Lesley A
authors: LA
authors: Ricci
authors: Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 125 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02155, USA. Electronic address: r.melloni@neu.edu.
authors: Richard H
authors: RH
authors: Melloni
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000728:Androgens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents; D000728:Androgens
keywords: AAS; AAS withdrawal; Adolescence; Aggression; Anabolic–androgenic; Anxiety; Developmental AAS exposure; Elevated-plus maze; Steroids
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2000 Feb;57(2):133-40; discussion 155-6
references: 10665615
references: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2000 May;25(4):317-38
references: 10725610
references: Horm Behav. 2002 Feb;41(1):101-10
references: 11863388
references: Physiol Behav. 2002 Apr 1;75(4):541-9
references: 12062318
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Oct;73(3):713-21
references: 12151048
references: Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2002 Oct;4(5):377-87
references: 12230967
references: Horm Behav. 2002 Sep;42(2):182-91
references: 12367571
references: Horm Behav. 2002 Dec;42(4):448-60
references: 12488111
references: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2003 Apr;28(3):317-31
references: 12573299
references: Dev Psychobiol. 2003 Sep;43(2):102-8
references: 12918089
references: Horm Behav. 2003 Sep;44(3):271-80
references: 14609549
references: Horm Behav. 2004 Aug;46(2):193-203
references: 15256309
references: J Clin Psychiatry. 1992 Apr;53(4):130-2
references: 1564048
references: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Jun;30(5):438-52
references: 15721056
references: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Sep;30(8):762-70
references: 15919582
references: Psychosomatics. 2005 Jul-Aug;46(4):285-90
references: 16000671
references: Horm Behav. 2006 Jan;49(1):123-8
references: 16026788
references: J Neurosci. 2005 Sep 28;25(39):9010-6
references: 16192392
references: Eur Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;21(8):551-62
references: 16356691
references: Behav Neurosci. 2006 Feb;120(1):115-24
references: 16492122
references: Eur Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;21(8):563-9
references: 16529916
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Sep;85(1):1-11
references: 16914188
references: Behav Neurosci. 2006 Dec;120(6):1242-51
references: 17201468
references: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1991 Aug;19(4):469-78
references: 1757712
references: Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Apr;33(5):1049-61
references: 17625503
references: Stress. 2007 Nov;10(4):326-31
references: 17853074
references: Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008 Nov;11(7):925-34
references: 18405416
references: Horm Behav. 2008 Nov;54(5):758-66
references: 18775430
references: Am J Public Health. 2008 Dec;98(12):2185-7
references: 18923108
references: Horm Behav. 2009 Feb;55(2):348-55
references: 19014946
references: Genes Brain Behav. 2009 Mar;8(2):161-73
references: 19055689
references: Neuroreport. 2009 Apr 22;20(6):617-21
references: 19287318
references: Horm Behav. 2010 Jun;58(1):177-91
references: 19914254
references: Br J Sports Med. 2010 Jan;44(1):26-31
references: 19919946
references: Br J Psychol. 1991 Feb;82 ( Pt 1):1-28
references: 2029601
references: Behav Brain Res. 2011 Mar 17;218(1):8-14
references: 21094664
references: Behav Neurosci. 2011 Jun;125(3):452-64
references: 21500881
references: Horm Behav. 2011 Sep;60(4):380-8
references: 21801726
references: Pediatr Clin North Am. 1990 Oct;37(5):1111-23
references: 2216557
references: Sports Med. 1990 Nov;10(5):303-37
references: 2263798
references: Horm Behav. 2012 Nov;62(5):569-78
references: 23026540
references: Behav Processes. 2013 Oct;99:73-80
references: 23792034
references: Am J Sports Med. 1990 Jul-Aug;18(4):422-8
references: 2403192
references: Horm Behav. 2013 Nov;64(5):770-80
references: 24126136
references: Physiol Behav. 2014 Mar 14;126:15-24
references: 24382485
references: Steroids. 2014 Jan;79:7-13
references: 24490270
references: Neuropharmacology. 2014 Aug;83:79-88
references: 24721625
references: Pediatrics. 1989 Jun;83(6):921-4
references: 2726346
references: Phys Sportsmed. 1983 Dec;11(12):86-98
references: 27409377
references: J Neurosci Methods. 1985 Aug;14(3):149-67
references: 2864480
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1986 Mar;24(3):525-9
references: 2871560
references: Lancet. 1987 Apr 11;1(8537):863
references: 2882266
references: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1987;92(2):180-5
references: 3110839
references: Am J Psychiatry. 1988 Apr;145(4):487-90
references: 3279830
references: Psychosom Med. 1987 Mar-Apr;49(2):174-82
references: 3575604
references: Physiol Behav. 1974 Jul;13(1):21-6
references: 4859192
references: Physiol Behav. 1972 Apr;8(4):687-91
references: 5064527
references: Psychosom Med. 1972 Jul-Aug;34(4):321-32
references: 5074958
references: J Comp Physiol Psychol. 1977 Jun;91(3):443-64
references: 559693
references: J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1980 Summer;19(3):476-90
references: 7410752
references: Psychosom Med. 1980 Mar;42(2):253-69
references: 7454920
references: Clin J Sport Med. 1995;5(1):25-31
references: 7614077
references: Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1994 Mar;47(3):437-41
references: 7911573
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1994 Oct;33(8):1174-84
references: 7982868
references: Physiol Behav. 1994 Feb;55(2):331-5
references: 8153174
references: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 May;51(5):375-82
references: 8179461
references: Horm Behav. 1993 Dec;27(4):568-83
references: 8294123
references: Nord Med. 1993;108(6-7):180-1
references: 8321641
references: JAMA. 1993 Jun 2;269(21):2760-4
references: 8492402
references: Drug Alcohol Depend. 1995 Nov;40(1):73-9
references: 8746927
references: Med J Aust. 1996 Aug 19;165(4):222-6
references: 8773655
references: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996 Oct;35(10):1322-30
references: 8885586
references: J Neurosci. 1997 Jun 1;17(11):4331-40
references: 9151749
references: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997 Aug;82(8):2433-8
references: 9253313
references: Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 1998 Dec;8(4):321-3
references: 9928924