Chronic Use of Anabolic Steroids and the Effects on the Neuronal Density of the Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus in Mice

Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of the chronic use of these drugs on the neuronal density of mice cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Materials and methods: 40 male Swiss mice were used, divided into 4 groups (n=10): GI-Control (0,02ml/Kg/week of saline solution), GII-treated with anabolic steroid Durateston® (83,3mg/Kg/week) GIII-treated with anabolic steroid Deca Durabolin® (16,6mg/Kg/week) e GIV-treated with the two anabolic steroids, concomitantly. The mice were treated for sixty days (60) and practiced swimming three times a week. The brain fragments were processed following the standardized sequence in conventional histological procedures and stained using cresyl violet. For the neuronal density analysis, the simple random count methodology was used. Results: Data revealed a significant reduction in the neuronal density of the groups treated with anabolic steroids, the limbic area had an estimated decrease of 16.44% in group III and 29.21% in group IV; the motor area the groups II, III, and IV presented a reduction of 17.63%, 15.35%, and 12.23%, and in the sensory area 15.22%, 16.41% and 21.59%, respectively; the groups II, III, and IV of the Ca1 area of the hippocampus showed a neuronal loss of 23.5%, 27.8%, and 36.36%, while groups II, III and IV of the Ca2 area there was a reduction of 10.37%, 11.83%, and 16.34%. In conclusion, the chronic use of AAS can be harmful to the nervous system since the neuronal reduction can bring structural and functional damages with possible consequences the whole organism.

Anabolic steroids and their effects of on neuronal density in cortical areas and hippocampus of mice

“…Similar results were observed in some studies (Kochakian, 1993;Damião et al, 2012;Silva et al, 2018) revealing significant morphological changes in the cerebral cortex of animals treated with supraphysiological doses of anabolic steroids. A study with cortical rats cell cultures (Orlando et al, 2007) examined the effect of testosterone and three of its synthetic derivatives (nandrolone, stanozolol, and gestrinone) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic neuronal death.…”

“…Studies show that anabolic steroids have detrimental and often irreversible effects on the brain and affect this organ primarily through two mechanisms: 1) Neural hyperstimulation by increasing the activation of specific neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin; 2) Significant reduction in neural connectivity of the central nervous system affecting several regions of brain, including the basal ganglia, hippocampus and cortical areas (Damião et al, 2012;Creagh et al, 2018;Silva et al, 2018;Freitas et al, 2017). The results here obtained can have serious implications in the second mechanism, since researchers observed a significant decrease in the neuronal population in some of the areas mentioned.…”

“…In this method, 2 random microscopic fields were acquired from 3 semi-serial sections of the areas, thus totaling six (6) fields analyzed for each chosen area. The regions chosen for the analysis were three cortical areas, limbic, motor and sensitive, as well as three hippocampal regions, CA1, CA2, and CA3 (Silva et al, 2018).…”

Effect of Resistance Training and Tribulus Terrestris Consumption on Avoidance and Working Memory in Rats Exposed to Stanozolol

“…Anabolic-androgenic steroids are a broad variety of testosterone derivatives that are used to treat some diseases, such as male infertility, kidney disease, aplastic anemia, osteoporosis, and AIDS, due to the synthetic effects [1][2][3]. However, studies show that illegal doses of these anabolic medications are usually used 10 to 100 times more than the usual amount in athletes and non-athletes [2].…”

“…As a result, long-term use of AASs causes physical disorders in one out of three consumers. In other words, long-term and high-dose consumption of AASs leads to hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis disorders [3]. Moreover, the abuse of stanozolol, as a member of the AAS family, causes behavioral disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and aggression, during consumption [4].…”