Evaluation of the reversibility of the effects of isolated or simultaneous administration of anabolic steroids, alcohol and nicotine on the testis and epididymis of Wistar rats

• Grant number: 13/10322-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Embryology
• Principal Investigator: Isabel Cristina Cherici Camargo
• Grantee: Bianca Ribeiro de Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent years there has been a great concern among public health agencies and the scientific community about the non-therapeutic use of synthetic steroids by youth and adult populations. Associated with this consumption, the literature reports that users combine these drugs, known as anabolic steroids, with other substances such as alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes. Although it is well documented that the isolated use of alcohol, nicotine (a more toxic constituent of the cigarettes), or anabolic steroids causes damage to spermatogenesis and fertility, little is known about the interaction effects of these drugs on male reproduction. The aim of this study is to investigate whether adverse reproductive effects due to isolated or simultaneous administration of anabolic steroids, alcohol, and nicotine are reversible after a period of post-treatment in adult rats. The animals (n = 42) are divided into seven groups: a) Control I (distilled water, orally) b) Control II (saline, subcutaneously), c) Control III (water and saline), d ) Treated with a synthetic mixture of esters of testosterone (7.5 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously), e) Treated with alcohol (3.5 g / kg of body weight of 25% ethanol, orally) f ) Treated with nicotine (2.0 mg/kg body weight, subcutaneously), g) Treated simultaneously with the three drugs. The treatment will be carried out for fifteen consecutive days and after this period the animals will be kept for thirty days in recovery. At the end of two periods (treatment and recovery), the rats are sacrificed and histological sections of the testis and epididymis, stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Mallory's trichrome will be evaluated by light microscopy. (AU)