• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1566-1577
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• 2010

Nandrolone, 19-nortestosterone, is a synthetic androgenic-anabolic steroid promoting muscle growth. Nandrolone is also present in pig meat and sera at non-negligible levels. A number of scientific reports have suggested a positive relationship between incidence of infertility and increased meat consumption in humans. The present study was designed to determine out the effect of feeding nandrolone on the testis of the male reproductive tract. Mixtures of food and nandrolone at different concentrations (0.005 ppm and 0.5 ppm) were supplied to pubertal male rats for 6 weeks. Body weight was recorded every week during the entire experimental period. At the end of the treatment, the testis, epididymis, and epididymal fat were collected and weighted. Sperm numbers in the caudal epididymis were counted. Differential gene or protein expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the testes among experimental groups was determined by semi-quantitative real-time PCR or western blotting analysis, respectively. Histological changes of the testis induced by nandrolone treatment were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunohistochemical analysis was employed to detect changes in the localization of steroidogenic enzymes in the testes among experimental animals. There were no significant changes on body, testis, epididymis, and epididymal fat weights among experimental groups. A significant increase of caudal sperm number was found in the 0.5 ppm nandrolone-treated group. Histological examination of the testes noted a high frequency of germ cell sloughing in seminiferous tubules of 0.5 ppm nandrolone-treated rats. Even though transcript levels of $3{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) I, $17{\beta}$-HSD4, and $17{\alpha}$-hydroxylase were influenced by nandrolone treatments, protein levels of all molecules examined in the present study were not significantly affected. Immunohistochemical analysis showed no visible changes in the localization of steroidogenic enzymes in the testes among experimental groups. The current study showed that oral intake of nandrolone in male rats for 6 weeks did not cause significant damage to the testis. It is considered that a feeding effect of nandrolone on male fertility would not be remarkable.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.867-873
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• 1996

This study was undertaken to determine whether the anabolic steroid nandrolone phenylpropionate(NPP) can inhibit the muscle atrophy and reduction in muscle protein synthesis caused by glucocorticoids in female rates. Daily injections of 50mg/kg of corticosterone for eight days induced significant reductions in body weight gain and protein without affecting food intake. The mass, protein and RNA content, ratio of RNA to protein, and fractional rate of protein synthesis, measured in vivo, of gastrocnemius muscle were all significantly reduced by corticosterone treatement. Simultaneous administration of NPP at a dose of 10mg/kg with corticosteorne (50mg/kg) fully inhibited the reductions in the mass, protein and RNA content of gastrocnemius muscle, and body weight gain and protein with no alteration in food intake but the reduction in fractional rate of muscle protein syntheis was only partially prevented. The results indicate that the anabolic steroid nandrolone phenylpropionate is capable of preventing muscle atrophy in female rats treated with excess corticosterion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.604-614
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• 2020

The application of steroids has steadily increased thanks to their therapeutic effects. However, alternatives are required due their severe side effects; thus, studies on the activities of steroid derivatives are underway. Sugar derivatives of nandrolone, which is used to treat breast cancer, as well as cortisone and prednisone, which reduce inflammation, pain, and edema, are unknown. We linked O-glucose to nandrolone and testosterone using UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT-1) and, then, tested their bioactivities in vitro. Analysis by NMR showed that the derivatives were 17β-nandrolone β-ᴅ-glucose and 17β-testosterone β-ᴅ-glucose, respectively. The viability was higher and cytotoxicity was evident in PC12 cells incubated with rotenone and, testosterone derivatives, compared to the controls. SH-SY5Y cells incubated with H₂O₂ and nandrolone derivatives remained viable and cytotoxicity was attenuated. Both derivatives enhanced neuronal protective effects and increased the amounts of cellular ATP.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.90-97
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• 2017

Androgenic anabolic steroids (AASs) are synthetic derivatives of testosterone with a common structure containing cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene nucleus. Their use enhances the muscle building capacity and is beneficial during performance. The AASs are one of the most abused group of substances in horse doping. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry ($LC/MS^n$) has been successfully applied to the detection of anabolic steroids in biological samples. However, the saturated hydroxysteroids viz: nandrolone, $5{\alpha}-estrane-3{\beta}$, $17{\alpha}-diol$ exhibit lower detection responses in electrospray ionisation (ESI) because of their poor ionisation efficiency. To overcome this limitation pre-column chemical derivatization has been introduced to enhance their detection responses in $LC-ESI-MS^n$ analysis. The aim of present study was to develop a sensitive method for identification and confirmation of nandrolone and its metabolite in horse urine incorporating pre-column derivatization using picolinic acid. The method consists of extraction of targeted steroid conjugates by solid phase extraction (SPE). The eluted steroid conjugates were hydrolysed by methanolysis and free steroids were recovered with liquid-liquid extraction. The resulting steroids were derivatized to form picolinoyl esters and identification was done using LC-ESI-MS/MS in positive ionization mode. The picolinated steroid adduct enhanced the detection levels in comparison to underivatized steroids.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.874-880
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• 1996

The effects of an anabolic steroid, nandrolone phenylpropionate(NPP), on body weight gain and body protein, and muscle protein metabolism were inestigated in adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH)-treated male and female rats. Daily injections of 100ug/day of ACTH for 7-8 days caused a cessation of growth in females and a net loss of body weight in males which were associated with significant reductions in body protein content. However, food intake was not affected by ACTH in either sex. The weight, protein content and fractional rate of protein synthesis, measured in vivo, of gastrocnemius muscle were all significantly reduced in both sexes. NPP at a dose of 4mg/kg body weight prevented the reduction in body weight gain in ACTH-treate females but not in males. However, boy protein content was increased by NPP in both sexes which was associated with increases in the weight, protein content and fractional rate of protein synthesis of gastrocnemius muscle. ACTH treatment caused a marked increase in plasma concentrations of corticosterone in both sexes. NPP suppressed much of the increases in corticosterone concentrations in both sexes. The results of the present study suggest that NPP exerts at least part of its anabolic effect by reducing plasma concentrations of catabolic glucocorticoid hormones, through suppressing the response of the adrenals to ACTH.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.263-270
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• 1995

Creatine(Cr) and phosphocreatine(PCr), the important mediators of intracellular high-energy phosphate buffer system, were found in the tissues of mouse seminal vesicle and also in the extracellular fluids of seminal vesicle secretion. This study was performed m confirm that the secretion and accumulation of Cr and PCr is regulated by testosterone and its $5{\alpha}$-reduced metabolite, $5{\alpha}$-dihydrotestosterone(DHT). In addition, the effect of nandrolone decanoate(ND), a synthetic anabolic steroid, on the levels of Cr and PCr in the seminal vesicle was compared with those of testosterone propionate(TP) and DHT. Male Swiss-Webster mice were castrated and three groups of the castrates were treated with daily injection(sc) of same molar dose($1.45{\times}10^{-8}mol/g\;BW$) of TP, DHT, or ND. All three androgens rapidly increased weights of seminal vesicle tissue and fluid, and also increased concentrations of Cr and PCr in the tissue and fluid. However, ND was least effective in increasing seminal vesicle weights, whereas ND was as effective as, or in some cases, more effective than, TP or DHT in increasing Cr and PCr levels in the tissue and fluid. The results confirm that the accumulation of Cr and PCr in the seminal vesicles is regulated by testosterone and DHT, and also suggest that the effects of androgens on seminal vesicle growth and secretory activity may be differentiated.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.248-253
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• 1993

아나보릭 스테로이드인 nandrolone phenylpropionate(NPP)가 인슐린에 의한 지방축적의 증가 및 절식시 혈중 유리지방산 농도에 미치는 영향을 암컷쥐에서 조사하였다. 인슐린 투여는 식이 섭취량을 유의적으로 증가시켰는데 이는 인슐린에 의한 혈당 저하에 의한 것으로 보인다. 지방 축적은 인슐린 투여에 의해 유의적으로 증가하였으나 체단백질이나 근육단백질 함량은 변화하지 않았다. 인슐린에 NPP를 동시에 투여하였을 때 NPP는 인슐린에 의한 저혈당증과 지방축적의 증가를 부분적으로 완화시켰으며 체단백질과 근육단백질 함량을 유의적으로 증가시켰다. 반면 NPP는 절식시킨 쥐의 혈중 유리 지방산 농도에는 영향을 미치지 않았다. 이러한 결과를 통해 아나보릭 스테로이드가 단백질 대사에 미치는 영향은 인슐린과 무관하며, 아나보릭 스테로이드의 지방축적 억제효과는 아나보릭 스테로이드가 지방분해에는 영향을 미치지 않고 인슐린에 의한 지방함성으로의 당이용도를 저해함으로 발휘된다는 것을 알 수 있다.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 1998

The aim of the present investigation was to see whether an anabolic steroid, nandrolone phenylpropionate (NPP), exerts protienanabolic effects under such adverse nutritional conditions as protein deficiency and protein-energy malnutrition in male rats. feeding on a low-protein (8% casein) diet resulted in a marked reduction in body weight gain that was associated with reductions in body protein and protein content of gastrocnemius muscle. Administration of NPP (4 mg/kg body weight) did not alter muscle and body protein depletion induced by a low-protein diet. 50% food restriction caused reductions in body protein and in protein content of gastrocnemius muscle. These reductions were partially prevented by NPP (4 mg/kg body weight). Food restriction did not affect plasma concentration of corticosterone, insulin, or tetosterone plus dihydrotestosterone. On the other hand, neither plasma concentration of corticosterone nor insulin were affected by NPP. The present results show that anabolic steroids do not express anabolic effects under conditions of protein deficiency, but in protein-energy malnutrition, anabolic steroids exert their anabolic effects even in male rats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.658-671
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• 2018

Objective: Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is an anabolic-androgenic steroid frequently used for clinical treatment. However, the inappropriate use of ND results in the reduction of serum testosterone level and sperm production. The suppressive effect of ND on testosterone production has not been investigated in detail. The present study was designed to examine the effect of ND on the expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the rat testis. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats at 50 days of age were subcutaneously administrated with either 2 or 10 mg of ND/kg body weight/week for 2 or 12 weeks. The changes of transcript and protein levels of steroidogenic enzymes in the testis were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analyses, respectively. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis was employed to determine the changes of immunostaining intensity of these enzymes. The steroidogenic enzymes investigated were steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, $17{\alpha}-hydroxylase$, $3{\beta}-hydroxysteroid$ dehydrogenase, and cytochrome P450 aromatase. Results: The treatment of ND resulted in depletion of Leydig cells and sloughing of germ cells in the testis. The ND treatment caused significant expressional decreases of steroidogenic enzymes at transcript and protein levels, and the destructive effects of ND on the testis were more apparent with a higher dose and a longer period of the treatment. Evident reduction of immunostaining intensity present in Leydig cells was clearly detected by the ND treatment. Conclusion: The exposure to ND in young male results not only in histological changes of the testis but also in aberrant gene expression of testicular steroidogenic enzymes, consequently leading into the reduction of testosterone production in the testis and thus likely disruption of spermatogenesis.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

The epididymis in the male reproductive tract is the site where spermatozoa produced from the testis become mature. The epididymis is divided into 4 different segments, initial segment and caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis, depending upon functional and morphological features. Aquaporins (Aqps) are water channel molecules, which are present in the epididymis and play a major role in removal of epididymal water, resulting in creation of microenvironment for sperm maturation and concentration of sperms. Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid, which is used to treat clinical diseases and improve physical ability and appearance. Even though it is well determined that the ND causes the male infertility by affecting the testis, little is known the effect of the ND on the epididymis. The present study was focused to examine the effect of ND at different treatment doses and periods on expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes in the epididymis of pubertal rats. Results showed that mRNA expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 genes among the parts of the epididymis was differentially regulated by ND treatment doses. In addition, treatment periods of ND caused differential expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 mRNAs among segments of the epididymis. Therefore, it is believed that male infertility induced by ND could be resulted not only from malfunction of the testis but also from aberrant gene expression of Aqp1 and Aqp9 in the epididymis.