ABSTRACT
We measured the activities of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (both enzymes of collagen biosynthesis) and the concentration of hydroxyproline in male rat soleus muscle and Achilles tendon during anabolic steroid treatment at 1 and 3 weeks. The rats were treated using a therapeutic dosage or a dosage that was five times the therapeutic level. After 1 week, the activity of prolyl 4-hydroxylase decreased significantly (P less than 0.01) in both treated groups in the soleus muscle, but the activity of galactosylhydroxylsyl glucosyltransferase decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) only in the group given a therapeutic dose. After 3 weeks, the activities were at the control level. In the Achilles tendon, the activity of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and the hydroxyproline concentration decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the group given high doses at 3 weeks. Anabolic steroid treatment seems to have at least a transitory effect on collagen biosynthesis in male rat muscle and tendon; in tendon this effect is seen only with high doses.
Subject(s)
Achilles Tendon/metabolism , Anabolic Agents/pharmacology , Collagen/biosynthesis , Muscles/metabolism , Achilles Tendon/drug effects , Anabolic Agents/administration & dosage , Animals , Hydroxyproline/analysis , Injections, Intramuscular , Male , Muscles/drug effects , Nandrolone/administration & dosage , Nandrolone/pharmacology , Organ Size/drug effects , Random Allocation , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
Protein leakage from type I skeletal muscle cells and collagen synthesizing cells were studied during a 24-h cross-country skiing relay in eight men using serum carbonic anhydrase III (S-CA III) and serum galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (S-GGT) as the respective specific marker proteins. Serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (S-Pro(III)-N-P) was used as an indicator of type III collagen synthesis and serum creatine kinase (S-CK) as a nonspecific muscular marker. S-CK, S-CA III, and S-GGT were increased immediately following the skiing relay by 870%, 640%, and 40%, respectively. No significant change was observed in the concentration of S-Pro(III)-N-P following the exercise. A high positive correlation (rs = 0.92, P less than 0.01) was found between the increase in S-CA III and S-CK, whereas no correlation was observed between these muscular markers and S-GGT. The results suggest leakage from type I skeletal muscle cells and collagen synthesizing cells as a consequence of prolonged cross-country skiing, but there seems to exist no dependence between acute responses in muscular and connective tissue cells to exercise.
