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Background Anabolic steroids (AS) are commonly abused by body builders and athletes aiming to increase their strength and muscle mass but unfortunately, the long-term use of AS may lead to serious side effects. Nandrolone Decanoate is one of the Class II anabolic androgenic steroids which quickly spread globally and used clinically and illicitly. Our research was directed to assess the toxic effects of anabolic steroids on cardiac and skeletal muscles in male albino rats and to evaluate the potential ameliorative effects of fenugreek seeds extract and silymarin. Methods Our research was done on 120 male albino rats that were allocated into 6 groups; group I: Served as a control group, group II: Received the anabolic steroid Nandrolone Decanoate, group III: Received silymarin orally, group IV: Received fenugreek seeds extract orally, group (V): Received the anabolic steroid Nandrolone Decanoate and silymarin and group (VI): Received the anabolic steroid Nandrolone Decanoate and fenugreek seeds extract. By the end of the study, rats were sacrificed, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis and autopsy samples for histopathological examination. Results The anabolic steroids toxic effects on rats showed a significant decrease in serum High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) level and increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels. There was a significant elevation in cardiac troponin I level. As regards to histopathological examination of the cardiac and skeletal muscles, the study showed marked degenerative changes and necrosis. Both silymarin and fenugreek seeds extract provided a protective effect on the biochemical and histopathological changes. The antioxidant effects of silymarin and fenugreek seeds extract were evaluated on the heart, skeletal muscles and showed that, the tissue levels of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase and reduced glutathione (GSH) decreased in AS treated rats compared to the control group. On the other hand, the tissue Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were elevated. Conclusions Anabolic steroids have a toxic effect on the cardiac and skeletal muscles of albino rats with improvement by treatment with fenugreek seeds extract and silymarin.

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Objectives: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is one of the world's most extensively used food additives which are ingested as part of commercially processed foods. MSG is a slow excitotoxin food additive which can cause generation of numerous amounts of free radicals which affects many organs such as heart. Vitamin C is an antioxidant protects the body against oxidative stress. Methodology: the experiment was carried out on 100 albino rats weighing about (150-200) g. The animals randomly were divided into equal 4 groups (n=25/group).The first group was served as control , the second group was administered oral doses of Vit.C (200 mg/Kg), the third group was administered oral doses of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) dissolved in distilled water equal to 60 mg/kg daily (60 mg/Kg) the fourth group was administered oral doses of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) dissolved in distilled water equal to 60 mg/kg daily (60 mg/Kg) and Vitamin C (200 mg/Kg) for 90 days respectively. Heart tissue oxidative stress biomarkers (Glutathione "GSH" and Mucosal Lipid Peroxidation "MDA") were estimated spectrophotometrically. Cardiac dysfunction biomarkers as protein kinase C (PKC) and troponin-I (Tn-I) were estimated using ELISA. Immunohistochemically, tissues caspase-3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were estimated. Histopathology: Samples from heart were fixed in Formalin 10% for 48 h. Routine histological procedures followed by routine hematoxylin and eosin stain and Masson's trichrome stains for collagen identification. Results: In control negative and vitamin C group, a normal histological structure of cardiac muscles could be found. Vitamin C administration corrected the disturbances caused by MSG. Conclusions: MSG may produce oxidative stress via the generation of highly toxic oxygen and nitrogen free-radicals and the inhibition of several antioxidant enzymes, altering several physiological and functional changes in the heart; this resembles human myocardial infarction, which causes sudden death in humans. Vitamin C administration showed their cardiac protective effects.

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