Vol 69, No 3 (2010)
Original article
Published online: 2010-08-02
The effects of swimming exercise and supraphysiological doses of nandrolone decanoate on the testis in adult male rats: a transmission electron microscope study
Folia Morphol 2010;69(3):138-146.
Abstract
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are used in high doses by athletes to improve
athletic ability, physical appearance, and muscle mass. Unfortunately,
the abuse of these agents has significantly increased. It has been established
that exercise and high doses of AAS may influence the hypothalamic-pituitary
gonadal (H-P-G) axis, which can in turn affect the ultrastructure of the testes.
However, the effect of the combination of exercise and high doses of AAS on
the ultrastructure of the testes is not known. This study was undertaken in
order to examine the combination effects of swimming exercise and supraphysiological
doses of nandrolone decanoate on the ultrastructural changes in
rat testes. Five groups of male Wistar strain albino rats were treated as follows
for 8 weeks: solvent of nandrolone decanoate (peanut oil) as a vehicle (sham);
nandrolone decanoate (ND) (10 mg/kg/week) - ND; exercise (1 h/day, 5 days
a week) - exercise; ND (10 mg/kg/week) and exercise (1 h/day, 5 days a week)
- ND-EX; and sedentary control without any injection or exercise - control.
Ultrastructural changes in the rat testes were characterised by transmission
electron microscopy. The number and size of Leydig cells were considerably
decreased in the interstitial space in the experimental rats. The increased thickness
and irregular wavy multilaminar appearance of basement membrane in
the treated animals, especially in the ND-EX group, are associated with well
developed myoid cells. Cytoplasm vacuolisation, vesicular-like crista of the mitochondria,
numerous lipid droplets, and lysosome and phagolysosome in Sertoli
cells were significantly observed in the experimental groups. Several apoptotic
germ cells were considerably observed in the experimental rats (p ≤ 0.05).
Exercise training seems to increase the extent of ultrastructural changes caused
by supraphysiological doses of ND in rats, which in turn may affect fertility.
(Folia Morphol 2010; 69, 3: 138-146)
(Folia Morphol 2010; 69, 3: 138-146)
Keywords: exercisenandrolone decanoatetestistransmission electron microscope