Boldenone (BOL) is an androgenic steroid that improves the growth and food conversion in food-producing animals. In most countries worldwide, this anabolic steroid is forbidden for human uses and meat production as it was developed for veterinary use. Recently, BOL is used by bodybuilders in both off season and pre-contest, where it is well known for increasing vascularity while preparing for a bodybuilding contest. The present study was designed to investigate the physiological and biochemical changes in rabbits after injection with the growth promoter BOL. A total of 32 adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into four groups, where the control group includes animals that were injected intramuscularly with olive oil and dissected after 3 weeks. The remaining three experimental groups included animals that received one, two and three intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight BOL, respectively, and were dissected after 3, 6 and 9 weeks, respectively. The animals from practice appeared healthy and did not show clinical signs of disease and none of the rabbits died during the experimental period. Serum total protein, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, asparate aminotransferase, urea, creatinine, testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly increased while serum direct bilirubin, albumin and albumin/globulin ratio were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) after one, two and three intramuscular injections of BOL as compared to their relative values in the control group. These findings explain the common phenomena in athletes and bodybuilders who suffer from infertility, renal and hepatic alterations following injection with some drugs as steroids (BOL) to build muscles.

Recently, boldenone (androgenic steroid) is used in improvement of the growth and food conversion in food-producing animals. In addition, it is used by bodybuilders during both off-season and precontest, where it is well known for increasing vascularity while preparing for a bodybuilding contest. The present study was designed to investigate the possible effect of growth promoter boldenone undecylenate on the structure and functions of rabbit testes. A total of 32 adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into 4 groups. The first group in the control group includes animals that were intramuscularly injected with olive oil and dissected after 3 weeks. Three experimental groups include animals that receive 1, 2, and 3 intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight boldenone, and dissected after 3, 6, and 9 weeks, respectively. Treating rabbits with boldenone increased the testosterone levels compared to the control group. Seminiferous tubules of the rabbit testis treated with boldenone showed reduced development and degeneration of the germinal epithelium, leading to debris and syncytial cell formation in the lumina of seminiferous tubules. Our immunohistochemical results indicated severe reduction in proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive spermatogonia in boldenone-treated animals as compared to the control group. These findings explain the common phenomena among athletics and bodybuilders who suffer from infertility as they were injected with some drugs such as steroids (boldenone) to build muscles.

No abstract

Thyroid hormones have marked effects on the growth, development, and metabolic function of virtually all organs and tissues. Thyroid status is an important determinant of cardiovascular function. The present work studied the histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the hypothyroid rat left ventricle at post-pubertal stage, in addition to the ameliorating role of folic acid. A total of 50 male albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (group I, control; group II, folic acid; group III, propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroid rats; group IV, co-treatment with folic acid; group V, post-treatment). In order to ensure the hypothyroid state, the level of serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) through the dose period was regularly determined. The TSH levels were significantly higher while T(3) levels were significantly lower in hypothyroid rats when compared to control group. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed an increase in homocysteine (Hcy) in the hypothyroid rats group when compared to the control group. The histopathological studies of the ventricle in hypothyroid rats revealed hydrophobic changes in myofibrillar structure with striations, myocardial atrophy, nuclear pyknosis, cytoplasmic vacuoles, and cytoplasmic eosinophilia. Transmission electron micrographs in the myocardium of hypothyroid rats revealed a marked reduction in muscle fibre mass, a marked degeneration of muscle fibres, swollen mitochondria, dilated sarcoplasmic reticulum and more prominent perinuclear oedema observed in the cardiac myocytes. In co-treated hypothyroid rats with folic acid, a regular arrangement of muscle fibres, mild swelling of myofibrillar structure with striations and no continuity with adjacent myofibrils were observed while the post-treated hypothyroid rat with folic acid showed normal architecture of myofibrillar structure with striations and continuity with adjacent myofibrils. In conclusion, our results indicated that folic acid had ameliorative effect against cardiac damage induced by 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil and the best results were found in case of using the folic acid as an adjuvant therapy after returning to the euthyroid state.

No abstract