P669 - EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROIDS ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF EXERCISING MALE RATS

P669

EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROIDS ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF EXERCISING MALE RATS

K. Basmail¹, A. Alkahtany¹, S. Alhammad¹, M. Abulmeaty², M. Berika^1,*

¹Rehabilitation Science Department, ²Community Health Sciences Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Rationale: Chronic use of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) in clinical practice and by athletes may produce negative cardiovascular effects. This study aims to investigate the adverse chronic effects of AAS on the cardiovascular system of exercising rats.

Methods: This study included 32 male Wistar rats divided into four groups. Group I received AAS injections and an exercise program, group II received AAS injections without an exercise program, group III received an exercise program without AAS injections, and group IV was sedentary without AAS injections or an exercise program. The study lasted for 8 weeks. After euthanasia, histopathological changes in cardiac tissues, coronary arteries, and the aorta were performed.

Results: We found that groups I and II (2.982 ± 0.807, 2.708 ± 0.544) had a significant increase in the left ventricle wall thickness compared to groups III and IV (1.913 ± 0.260, 1.883 ± 0.303) (P<0.001, graph 1). Group II (53.75 ± 7.741) had a significant increase in the coronary artery wall thickness compared to group II and group III (34.63 ± 11.963, 40.71 ± 8.118) but not to group IV (37.43 ± 6.512) (P=0.002, graph 2). Also, group I (224.5 ± 66.09) had a significant increase in the aorta wall thickness compared to group III (73.71 ±17.241), but not to group II and group IV (147.88 ± 17.217, 167.5 ± 44.442) (P<0.001, graph 3). Besides, Adverse effects such as lipid accumulation, fibrosis, hemorrhage, proliferation, and inflammation of cardiac muscle, coronary arteries, and aorta have also been observed in AAS-treated groups.

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Conclusion: The misuse of AAS can have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, leading to a heightened risk of heart diseases, including coronary heart disease and cardiac hypertrophy.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared