Associação entre degeneração neuronal e doses suprafisiológicas de dois tipos de esteroides anabolizantes em encéfalos de ratos

Abstract

The abusive use of anabolic steroids has been growing exponentially since its origin, becoming an important issue to be questioned and evaluated, being necessary to educate the general population, especially the middle-aged male public, considered the target audience. The effects and consequences triggered by anabolic steroids in the body happen in ways, and they may affect several organs and tissues. According to the scientific literature, their damage is related to the male reproductive system, such as: testicular atrophy and hormonal problems; in addition, they can affect the cardiovascular system, with a potential factor of causing sudden death, are also reported liver, kidney, hematopoietic system cells effects, blood lipid profile and mainly can cause effects on the central nervous system, such as: increased aggressiveness, irritability, depression, and affect the cognitive domain, such as: learning, memory, attention and the ability to recognize information. The samples of this experiment are part of the Anatomy Department histological collection at Unifal-MG, collected from a doctoral experiment from the Post-Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In this experimento, 70 samples of encephalo from 60-day-old male Wistar rats were used. The animals were exposed to two different anabolic steroids, Testosterone Cypionate (DP) and Nandrolone Decanoate (DC), both are among the anabolic steroids most commercialized and known in Brazil by sporting and amateur users. For the study, the animals were divided into two treatments: DP and DC, divided into sedentary and exercise, subdivided into three other groups, which were separated into doses: 5mg, 10mg and 15mg, each group consisted of 5 animals, thus forming 12 groups. Addition, two control groups (5 animals each one) were formed, one for sedentary group (CS) and another for exercise (CE), thus 14 groups. The encephalos were submitted to all histological procedures, for further analysis. Therefore were performed, estimates of neuron bodies in the locus ceruleus and hypothalamus, including the Tunnel Assay and Von Kossa staining techniques. Also were performed measurements of retrosplenial, motor and somatosensory cortical areas. In the locus coeruleus and hypothalamus, it was possible to observe a significant reduction of neurons in the sedentary and exercised groups, treated with both anabolic steroids. It was also possible to observe this reduction when comparing the sedentary control group with the exercised and anabolic steroid treated groups. The motor and somatosensory cortical areas showed significant reductions in their measurements in the sedentary groups. Therefore, the results obtained indicate that both anabolic steroids can cause degenerative effects in the locus coeruleus and hypothalamus and, according to the Von Kossa technique, it is suggested that the probable cause of neuronal death is necrosis, caused by an imbalance of intracellular calcium. It is also possible to conclude that the chronic use of anabolic steroids can cause a reduction in the motor and somatosensory cortex in non-exercised animals.