The Effect of Eight Weeks of Testosterone Enanthate Consumption on Oxidative Indicators of Kidney Tissue in Resistance Trained Rats

Abstract

Introduction: Taking anabolic steroids can affect the state of oxidative stress in different tissues of the body such as kidneys. This study aimed to examine the effect of 8 weeks of resistance training with testosterone enanthate consumption on tissue oxidation indicators in male rats. Methods: In the current experimental study, 18 rats with an average weight of 250 ± 50 g were divided into 3 groups of 6 animals including: (1) control, (2) training, and (3) training + testosterone. Rats in the training and training + testosterone groups underwent resistance training for 8 weeks and 5 sessions per week. Also, rats in the training + testosterone group received 20 mg/kg of testosterone enanthate by intramuscular injection 3 days a week. The resistance training protocol consisted of climbing a 1-meter ladder 5 days a week (4 sets of 6 with a rest interval of 60 to 90 seconds) in which the weights were 60% of the rats’ body weights in the first week, and 20% of the body weight was added to the weights every week. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the research findings (P≤0.05). Results: Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) level in the training + testosterone group was significantly lower than the control group (P=0.007); however, there were no significant differences in malonaldehyde (MDA) (P=0.64) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P=0.29) levels between the research groups. Conclusion: It seems that testosterone consumption can be effective in increasing oxidative stress factors in the kidney tissue of resistance-trained rats.

Anabolic Steroids Activate the NF-κB Pathway in Porcine Ovarian Putative Stem Cells Independently of the ZIP-9 Receptor

“…Studies on the toxic effects of AASs on the liver have shown that the NF-κB pathway can also be activated by steroids in a manner independent of oxidative stress and thus plays a protective role in counteracting the pro-apoptotic effect of AASs on hepatocytes [ 52 , 53 ]. Studies in rats have shown that resistance training combined with testosterone intake increases the expression of the NF-κB pathway and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) genes, related to inflammation in the kidneys [ 54 ]. Furthermore, the NF-κB pathway can be activated by boldenone-induced oxidative stress, leading to the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and thus the accumulation of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNFα and IL-1β [ 55 , 56 ].…”