Nandrolone and resistance training induce heart remodeling: Role of fetal genes and implications for cardiac pathophysiology

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) 2011-10, Vol.89 (17-18), p.631-637
• Main Authors: Tanno, Ana Paula, Neves, Vander José das, Rosa, Kaleizu Teodoro, Cunha, Tatiana Sousa, Giordano, Fernanda Cristina Linarello, Calil, Caroline Morini, Guzzoni, Vinicius, Fernandes, Tiago, de Oliveira, Edilamar Menezes, Novaes, Pedro Duarte, Irigoyen, Maria Cláudia, Moura, Maria José Costa Sampaio, Marcondes, Fernanda Klein
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin; Anabolic Agents - pharmacology; Animals; Atrial natriuretic peptide; Body Weight - drug effects; Cardiac hypertrophy; Cardiomegaly - chemically induced; Cardiomegaly - genetics; Cardiomegaly - physiopathology; Collagen; Collagen - analysis; Diastole - drug effects; Echocardiography; Fetuses; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Heart; Heart - drug effects; Heart - physiopathology; Hypertrophy; Male; messenger RNA; Myocardium - metabolism; myosin; Nandrolone; Nandrolone - pharmacology; pathophysiology; Polymerase chain reaction; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Resistance Training; reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; strength training; Systole - drug effects; Testosterone - blood; Training; Ventricle
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2011.08.004

This study was conducted to assess the isolated and combined effects of nandrolone and resistance training on cardiac morphology, function, and mRNA expression of pathological cardiac hypertrophy markers. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups and submitted to 6weeks of treatment with nandrolone and/or resistance training. Cardiac parameters were determined by echocardiography. Heart was analyzed for collagen infiltration. Real-time RT-PCR was used to assess the pathological cardiac hypertrophy markers. Both resistance training and nandrolone induced cardiac hypertrophy. Nandrolone increased the cardiac collagen content, and reduced the cardiac index in non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Nandrolone reduced the ratio of maximum early to late transmitral flow velocity in non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Nandrolone reduced the alpha-myosin heavy chain gene expression in both non-trained and trained groups, when compared with the respective vehicle-treated groups. Training reduced the beta-myosin heavy chain gene expression in the groups treated with vehicle and nandrolone. Only the association between training and nandrolone increased the expression of the skeletal alpha-actin gene and atrial natriuretic peptide in the left ventricle. This study indicated that nandrolone, whether associated with resistance training or not, induces cardiac hypertrophy, which is associated with enhanced collagen content, re-expression of fetal genes the in left ventricle, and impaired diastolic and systolic function.