Administration of an anabolic steroid during the adolescent phase changes the behavior, cardiac autonomic balance and fluid intake in male adult rats

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.12.006
• Publication Date: 2014-01-04T05:50:39Z
• Authors: Emerson L. Olivares; Anderson L.B. Sil...; Fabricia V. Fonseca; Claudio Silva-Alm...; Rafael S. Côrtes; Pedro P. Pereira-...; Jose H.M. Nascimento; Luis C. Reis
• Keywords: Elevated plus maze; Hypertonic saline; Testosterone propionate

Few data are available on adolescent users because most behavioral studies anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) abuse have been performed in adults. Studies evaluating the impact of long-term effects AAS prepubertal phase even more uncommon. Accordingly, this study was developed to test hypothesis that changes induced by use during may be noted adult when treatment cycle is discontinued. Therefore, not only but also possible autonomic and electrolyte disorders were evaluated. For purpose, we used male prepubertal, 26-day-old (P26) Wistar rats treated with vehicle (control, n=10) or testosterone propionate (TP; 5 mg/kg intramuscular (IM) injection, AAS, five times per week for weeks, totaling 25 applications treatment. Aggression tests at end (P54-56), whereas open-field (OFTs), elevated plus maze (EPM) measurements heart rate variability (HRV), fluid intake pathology conducted (P87-92). The group showed greater aggressiveness pubertal higher levels horizontal vertical exploration anxiety-related behavior than control (P<0.05). HRV an increase sympathetic modulation, hydroelectrolytic assessment lower basal hypertonic saline (P<0.05), without statistically significant water. These together suggest induces behavioral, manifest discontinued late adolescence rats.