Nandrolone plus moderate exercise increases the susceptibility to lethal arrhythmias

Abstract

Background: Until now, no experimental study has directly assessed the arrhythmogenesis of chronic consumption of anabolic androgenic steroids along with moderate-intensity endurance exercise. Objectives: We evaluated the influence of integration of anabolic androgenic steroids along with moderate-intensity endurance exercise on susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias in rat. Materials and Methods:The animal groups were as follows: control group (CTL); exercise group (EX) which were under 6 weeks of treadmill exercise; nandrolone group (Nan) which received 5 mg/kg of nandrolone decanoate twice a week; vehicle group (Arach) which received Arachis oil (solvent of nandrolone); trained vehicle group (Arach + Ex); and trained nandrolone group (Nan + Ex). One day after ending of the intervention period, arrhythmia was inducted by intravenous infusion of aconitine and ventricular arrhythmias were recorded. Then malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) of heart tissue were measured. Results: Nandrolone, exercise, and their combination were associated with heart hypertrophy. Exercise could prevent the incremental effect of nandrolone on MDA/GPX ratio. Chronic administration of nandrolone with moderate-intensity endurance exercise had no significant effect on blood pressure, heart rate, and basal electrocardiographic parameters. Combination of nandrolone and exercise significantly increased the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and reduced the VF latency (P < 0.05). Conclusions:The findings suggest that chronic coadministration of nandrolone with moderate-intensity endurance exercise facilitates the VF occurrence in rat. Complementary studies are needed to elucidate the involved mechanisms of this abnormality.

Combination effects of gallic acid and cyclosporine A during ischemia/ reperfusion on rat electrocardiogram parameters and arrhythmia

“…According to the Lambeth conventions, types of ventricular arrhythmias are defined as follows: ventricular premature beat (VPB; equal to PVC) is defined as a ventricular complex (complete electrical event: QRS, RS, QRST or RST) that is different in shape (voltage, duration, height or width) from the preceding (non-VPB) ventricular complex, and is premature than the preceding ventricular complex and VT is a run of four or more ventricular premature beats. VF is defined as a sequence of a minimum of four consecutive ventricular complexes without intervening diastolic pauses in which the shape, the peak-peak interval, the height vary and the variation between each is non-progressive (Baravati et al, 2015).…”

“…In each group, it was performed during 1h of reperfusion and compared with control. This scoring was defined as follow: 0, < 10 PVCs; 1, ≥ 10 PVCs; 2, one to five episodes of VT; 3, > 5 episodes of VT or 1 episode of VF; 4, two to five episodes of VF; 5, > 5 episodes of VF; 6, VT or VF or both with duration > 300 sec (Baravati et al, 2015).…”