JJBS Volume 3, Number 4, December 2010 ISSN 1995-6673 Pages 165 - 174 Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences Nandrolone Decanoate Administration to Male Rats Induces Oxidative Stress, Seminiferous Tubules Abnormalities, and Sperm DNA Fragmentation Lubna H. Tahtamouni a,* , Noor H. Mustafa a , Iman M. Hassan a , Iman M. Ahmad b , Salem R. Yasin a , Maher Y. Abdalla a,c a Deptartment of Biology and Biotechnology, b Deptartment of Radiography, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan; c Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Naval Medical Center, Bldg. 8, Rm. 4155, 8901 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD, USA Abstract اﻟﻤﻠﺨﺺ The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Nandrolone Decanoate (an anabolic steroid) on the level of oxidative stress markers, sperm chromatin integrity, seminiferous tubules structure, and spermatogonia/Sertoli cell ratio in adult rat. Rats were divided into three groups: control, low (3mg/Kg) and high-dose (10mg/Kg) Nandrolone Decanoate-receiving groups. Seminal fluid analysis was performed, and the serum was used to evaluate testosterone level. Testicular oxidative stress markers were measured and routine histological preparation and androgen receptor immunochemistry was used to evaluate the effects of Nandrolone Decanoate injection on seminiferous tubules. Injection of Nandrolone Decanoate caused an increase in the production of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the testes of treated rats. The level of sperm DNA fragmentation and the percentage of seminiferous tubules showing maturation arrest were also increased in treated animals. The absolute numbers of spermatogonia and Sertoli cells in the rats receiving Nandrolone Decanoate decreased significantly; however, the ratio of spermatogonia/Sertoli cells did not. Administration of anabolic steroids at supraphysiological doses leads to multiple pathological changes in the reproductive system of treated rats. Testosterone or its derivatives such as Nandrolone Decanoate are being abused commonly. Athletes, coaches, and physicians should be aware of their harmful side effects. ﺗﻬﺪف اﻟﺤﺎﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ إﻟﻰ ﺁﺛﺎر ﺗﻘﻴﻴﻢ ﺣﻘﻦNandrolone Decanoate ) اﻟﺒﻨﺎﺋﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﺘﻴﺮوﻳﺪات ﻣﻦ واﺣﺪ( ﻋﻠﻰ اﻻوآﺴﻴﺠﻴﻨﻲ، اﻟﺠﻬﺪ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى وﺳﻼﻣﺔ اﻟﻮراﺛﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﺎدة اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ ﻠﺤﻴﻮاﻧﺎت و، اﻷﻧﺎﺑﻴﺐ وﻣﻜﻮﻧﺎت ﺷﻜﻞ اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ، اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪ ﻟﻠﺨﻼﻳﺎ اﻷم اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺨﻼﻳﺎ وﻧﺴﺒﺔ ة) ﺳﺮﺗﻮﻟﻲ ﺧﻼﻳﺎ( ﺣﻘﻨﻬﺎ ﺗﻢ اﻟﺘﻲ اﻟﺠﺮذان. ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺎت ﺛﻼﺛﺔ إﻟﻰ اﻟﺠﺮذان ﺗﻘﺴﻴﻢ ﺗﻢ: ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ اﻟﻀﺒﻂ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺘﺪﻧﻲ ﺑﺘﺮآﻴﺰ ﺣﻘﻨﺖ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ وDecanoate Nandrolone ) 3 ﻣﺞ/ آﻐﻢ( ﻋﺎﻟﻲ ﺑﺘﺮآﻴﺰ ﺣﻘﻨﺖ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ و ) 10 ﻣﺞ/ آﻐﻢ.( أن إﻟﻰ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺗﻮﺻﻠﺖ اﻹ ﻟﻤﺮآﺐ اﻟﻤﻔﺮط ﺳﺘﺨﺪام Nandrolone Decanoate إﻟﻰ أدى إﻓﺴﺎد اﻟﺤﻤ اﻟﻨﻮوي ﻟﻠ ﺤﻴﻮاﻧﺎت اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ و إﻳﻘﺎ إﻟﻰ ف ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ ﻣﺮاﺣﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺤﻴﻮاﻧﺎت ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ. ﻓﻲ ﺗﻐﻴﻴﺮ أي ﻳﺤﺪث وﻟﻢ ﺳﺮﺗﻮﻟﻲ، ﺧﻼﻳﺎ إﻟﻰ اﻷم اﻟﻤﻨﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺨﻼﻳﺎ ﻧﺴﺒﺔ اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻖ اﻟﻌﺪد وﻟﻜﻦ آﺒﻴﺮ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻗﻞ اﻟﺨﻼﻳﺎ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ. ذﻟﻚ، إﻟﻰ وﺑﺎﻹﺿﺎﻓﺔ اﻟﺒ اﻟﺴﺘﻴﺮوﻳﺪات ﺣﻘﻦ ﺗﺴﺒﺐ ﺎﺋﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ زﻳﺎدة إﻧﺘﺎجAcid Thiobarbituric دون أي ﺣﺪوث ﺗﻐﻴﻴﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺘﻮىGSH ﺧﺼﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺠﺮاذﻳﻦ ب ﺣﻘﻨﺖ اﻟﺘﻲNandrolone Decanoate . اﺳﺘﻌﻤﺎل إﺳﺎءة إن اﻟﺒﻨﺎﺋﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﺘﻴﺮوﻳﺪات ﺗﺼﺒﺢ ﺑﺪأت أﺳﺎﺳﻴﺔ ﻣﺸﻜﻠﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ اﻟﺼﺤﺔ ﻣﺠﺎل ﻓﻲ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﺒﺮاﻣﺞ ﺗﻨﻔﻴﺬ ﺿﺮورة ﻳﻌﻨﻲ ﻣﺎ وهﻮ ﺘﻮﻋﻴ اﻟﻤﺮاهﻘ وﺗﺤﺬﻳﺮ ﻴﻦ واﻟﻤﺮﺷﺪﻳﻦ ﺳﻮاء ﺣﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺠﺎﻧﺒﻴﺔ اﻵﺛﺎر ﻋﻦ و اﻟﺴﻠﺒﻴﺔ اﻟﻌﻘﺎرات ﻟﻬﺬﻩ ﻣﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﻴﻬﺎ ﺻﺤﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ. © 2010 Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved Keywords: Germinal Epithelium, TBARS, Glutathione, Anabolic Steroids, Sertoli Cells, Androgen Receptor. 1. Introduction * Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic compounds which are based on the structure of testosterone, and are used to treat various conditions such * Corresponding author. lubnatahtamuni@hu.edu.jo. as reproductive system dysfunction, breast cancer and anemia (Thiblin and Petersson, 2005). Three basic modifications are made to the structure of testosterone to enhance deliverability and potency and slow down rate of degradation. The first of these modifications (class I) involves esterification of testosterone at the 17-β-hydroxy location (Hall and Hall, 2005). This modification, which is made to injectable AAS, slows down degradation but enhances androgenic properties (Hall and Hall, 2005).