European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

STANOZOLOL, AN ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROID AND HEPATIC DYSFUNCTION: A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON SERUM TRANSAMINASES PROFILE IN POSTNATAL MICE MUS MUSCULUS

Praveenkumar S. Kondaguli, Laxmi S. Inamdar (Doddamani)*

ABSTRACT

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of testosterone widely used for therapeutic purposes; however, their non-medical use has increased considerably among athletes, bodybuilders, and recreational users to enhance physical performance, endurance, and muscle mass. Nevertheless, abuse of these AAS can consequently result in various secondary adverse effects like hepatocarcinoma, coronary heart diseases, altered cholesterol and liver enzyme profiles, reproductive and endocrine disturbances. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of prolonged administration of one of the AAS, ST, on serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels in male and female postnatal mice. A total of 40 postnatal mice (21 days old; 20 males and 20 females) were randomly divided into four groups of males and four groups of females (having 5 animals in each group). ST was dosed [0.5 mg/kg bwt (low-dose); 5.0 mg/kg bwt (medium-dose); and 7.5 mg/kg bwt (high-dose) or 1% alcohol (vehicle control)] subcutaneously for 30 consecutive days. Serum SGOT and SGPT levels were analyzed using a Roche cobas c111 fully automated biochemical analyzer. The findings revealed a significant elevation in serum SGOT and SGPT levels across ST-treated groups (p < 0.001), irrespective of sex, when compared to controls. These observed results indicate the AAS-induced liver diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and inflammation in the liver, that may lead to hepatic dysfunction or hepatotoxicity. These findings indicate the health risks of non-therapeutic AAS abuse and suggest the need for molecular studies to clarify the underlying mechanisms.

Keywords: Stanozolol, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, hepatic dysfunction, postnatal male and female mice.