Name: ANDREWS MARQUES DO NASCIMENTO

Publication date: 16/03/2017
Advisor:

Name	Role
NAZARE SOUZA BISSOLI	Advisor *

Examining board:

Name	Role
EDUARDO HERTEL RIBEIRO	Internal Examiner *
JONES BERNARDES GRACELI	Internal Examiner *
NAZARE SOUZA BISSOLI	Advisor *

Summary: The use of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) has grown considerably in the last decades, being used by both men and women, with a significant reduction in the age of these users. The abusive and indiscriminate use of these hormones causes cardiovascular alterations, such as cardiac hypertrophy associated with collagen deposition considered pathological. This cardiac remodeling caused by AAS can trigger hypertension, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias and even sudden death. Usually, AAS are associate with physical exercise, which alone promotes beneficial cardiovascular effects. However, in combination, the beneficial effect of exercise is lost with the occurrence of unfavorable cardiovascular adaptations and ventricular function problems, especially diastolic function, myocardial fibrosis and cardiomyocyte derangement. In addition, little is known about the cardiovascular effects of these drugs on women. This work aims to evaluate the effects of nandrolone decanoate and resistive physical exercise on cardiac contractility in female rats. The animals were separated into 4 groups: C (untrained); EC (submitted to resistive physical exercise in water, 5 times per week); ND (treated with DN, 20 mg/kg/ week for 4 weeks); and NDE (trained and treated). The hemodynamic parameters (+dP/dtmax, -dP/dtmin and Tau) were evaluated in the left ventricle. The heart was collected for histological analysis (H&E) and deposition of collagen (picrusirius red). Analysis of the expression of proteins related to cytosolic Ca2+ handling was performed by the Western blot method. Animals treated with nandrolone and animals submitted to resistance training showed increased contractility and cardiac relaxation. Furthermore, the nandrolone increased the expression of the phosphorylated phospholamban (p-PLB) and isoform of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase 2 (SERCA-2a), while resistance exercise increased the phosphorylation of PLB and exchanger expression of Na+/Ca2+ (NCX). Pathologic cardiac remodeling, characteristic of cardiac hypertrophy associated with collagen deposition, was observed after nandrolone treatment. Therefore, treatment with nandrolone and resistive physical exercise in females, for a period of four weeks, were able to promote cardiac hypertrophy and increase cardiac function by altering proteins responsible for the regulation of intracellular Ca2+. However, hypertrophy caused by nandrolone was considered a pathological condition. Certainly, this evaluation comparing the use of nandrolone and cardiac contractility should be further investigated, especially with chronic use, since prolonged exacerbations of these effects may trigger severe cardiac complications.

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