Effects of resistance physical training on coronary bed reactivity and ventricular contractility in rats submitted to treatment with nandrolone decanoate

Abstract

Background: Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are natural or synthetic compounds, formed from testosterone and its derivatives, which are widely used in medical practice for the treatment of various diseases, especially those related to androgenic dysfunctions. However, due to their anabolic potential, these substances are commonly used without therapeutic prescription in sports, in order to increase physical capacities. The indiscriminate use of AAS can cause several deleterious changes in many organ systems, especially those related to the cardiovascular system, where previous studies carried out with humans observed the occurrence of cardiac hypertrophy, impairment of coronary flow and arterial hypertension. However, the results obtained in these studies are controversial, as they present methodological designs that are difficult to analyze, in addition to colliding with ethical factors, as they are mostly clinical studies. Objective: To investigate the effects of an EAA (Nandrolone Decanoate - Deca-Durabolin®, Schering-plough) on coronary bed reactivity and ventricular contractility in rats submitted to high resistance physical training. Methods: Male Wistar rats (N=32) will be divided into four groups (N=08); untrained control group; group trained during 12 weeks through high resistance exercises; group treated with nandrolone decanoate (5mg/kg) without training; and group trained and treated with nandrolone decanoate. Treatment with nandrolone decanoate will be performed 3 times a week, while in the other groups a vehicle will be administered (peanut oil; 0.2 ml/kg). All groups will be submitted to the following analyses: recording of blood pressure and heart rate through plethysmographic assessment; analysis of coronary bed reactivity and left ventricular contractility using the Langendorff technique in an isolated heart.