Effect of high- dosage of testosterone enanthate administration on the serum levels ofadrenocortical hormones in rat

ABSTRACT

Testosterone enanthate [TE] due to its anabolic effects is widely used by athletes to increase muscle strength. Despite widespread abuse of anabolic steroids, the endocrine effects of supraphysiologic doses of these compounds remain unclear. Our previous studies showed that the high doses of TE have some effects on the secretion of metabolic hormones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect [s] of high dosage of TE on serum levels of adrenocortical hormones in rat.In this study, 120 male Charles River rats [210-220g] were divided to five groups of 24. In group I, the control group, rats did not have any operation or injection. In group II rats were gonadectomized and received TE [5mg/100g B.W, i.p injection, weekly]. Group III was gonadectomized rats receiving vehicle [olive oil]. Group IV was sham-operated non-gonadectomized rats receiving the same dose of TE as group II. Group V was sham operated non-gonadectomiced rats receiving vehicle. In each group, blood samples were taken from eight rats after 21, 42, 63 days and the serum levels of testosterone, cortisol, aldostrone and corticotropin [ACTH] were measured by radioimmunoassy technique.The results showed that cortisol and aldostrone levels in TE receiving groups, were significantly lower and ACTH was higher than those of the other groups at day 21 [P<0.05]. In long term [63 days] these changes came back to the control levels.It seems that acute suppressive effects of high testosterone level on adrenocortical cells, decrease serum levels of cortisol and aldostrone and elavate ACTH. In long-term the feedback mechanisms modulate these effects via hypothalamic-hypophysial-adrenal axis