title: The risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in presence of high-intensity endurance exercise along with chronic administration of nandrolone decanoate.
abstract: Anabolic steroids used to improve muscular strength and performance in athletics. Its long-term consumption may induce cardiovascular adverse effects. We assessed the risk of ventricular arrhythmias in rats which subjected to chronic nandrolone plus high-intensity endurance exercise. Animals were grouped as; control (CTL), exercise (Ex): 8 weeks under exercise, vehicle group (Arach): received arachis oil, and Nan group: received nandrolone decanoate 5 mg/kg twice a week for 8 weeks, Arach+Ex group, and Nan+Ex. Finally, under anesthesia, arrhythmia was induced by infusion of 1.5 μg/0.1 mL/min of aconitine IV and ventricular arrhythmias were recorded for 15 min. Then, animals' hearts were excised and tissue samples were taken. Nandrolone plus exercise had no significant effect on blood pressure but decreased the heart rate (P<0.01) and increased the RR (P<0.01) and JT intervals (P<0.05) of electrocardiogram. Nandrolone+exercise significantly increased the ventricular fibrillation (VF) frequency and also decreased the VF latency (P<0.05 versus CTL group). Combination of exercise and nandrolone could not recover the decreasing effects of nandrolone on animals weight gain but, it enhanced the heart hypertrophy index (P<0.05). In addition, nandrolone increased the level of hydroxyproline (HYP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) but had not significant effect on glutathione peroxidase of heart. Exercise only prevented the effect of nandrolone on HYP. Nandrolone plus severe exercise increases the risk of VF that cannot be explained only by the changes in redox system. The intensification of cardiac hypertrophy and prolongation of JT interval may be a part of involved mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzane
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abdollahi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Electronic address: sjokar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Siyavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joukar
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najafipour
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Yaser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masumi
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Cardiovascular Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Binayi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D007837:Latency Period, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012307:Risk Factors; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D008315:Malondialdehyde; D009277:Nandrolone; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D000077603:Nandrolone Decanoate; D006909:Hydroxyproline
keywords: Electrocardiogram; Endurance exercise; Steroids; Ventricular arrhythmia