title: Nandrolone Plus Moderate Exercise Increases the Susceptibility to Lethal Arrhythmias.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Until now, no experimental study has directly assessed the arrhythmogenesis of chronic consumption of anabolic androgenic steroids along with moderate-intensity endurance exercise.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the influence of integration of anabolic androgenic steroids along with moderate-intensity endurance exercise on susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias in rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  The animal groups were as follows: control group (CTL); exercise group (EX) which were under 6 weeks of treadmill exercise; nandrolone group (Nan) which received 5 mg/kg of nandrolone decanoate twice a week; vehicle group (Arach) which received Arachis oil (solvent of nandrolone); trained vehicle group (Arach + Ex); and trained nandrolone group (Nan + Ex). One day after ending of the intervention period, arrhythmia was inducted by intravenous infusion of aconitine and ventricular arrhythmias were recorded. Then malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) of heart tissue were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nandrolone, exercise, and their combination were associated with heart hypertrophy. Exercise could prevent the incremental effect of nandrolone on MDA/GPX ratio. Chronic administration of nandrolone with moderate-intensity endurance exercise had no significant effect on blood pressure, heart rate, and basal electrocardiographic parameters. Combination of nandrolone and exercise significantly increased the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and reduced the VF latency (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that chronic coadministration of nandrolone with moderate-intensity endurance exercise facilitates the VF occurrence in rat. Complementary studies are needed to elucidate the involved mechanisms of this abnormality.
authors.affiliation: Deptarment of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamideh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghorbani Baravati
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Siyavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joukar
authors.affiliation: Deptarment of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fathpour
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kordestani
keywords: Aerobic Exercise; Nandrolone Decanoate; Ventricular Fibrillation