We measured the activities of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (both en zymes of collagen biosynthesis) and the concentration of hydroxyproline in male rat soleus muscle and Achilles tendon during anabolic steroid treatment at 1 and 3 weeks. The rats were treated using a therapeutic dos age or a dosage that was five times the therapeutic level. After 1 week, the activity of prolyl 4-hydroxylase decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in both treated groups in the soleus muscle, but the activity of galac tosylhydroxylsyl glucosyltransferase decreased signifi cantly (P < 0.05) only in the group given a therapeutic dose. After 3 weeks, the activities were at the control level. In the Achilles tendon, the activity of prolyl 4- hydroxylase and the hydroxyproline concentration de creased significantly (P < 0.05) in the group given high doses at 3 weeks. Anabolic steroid treatment seems to have at least a transitory effect on collagen biosyn thesis in male rat muscle and tendon; in tendon this effect is seen only with high doses.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
American College of Sports Medicine: Position stand on the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids in sports . Med Sci Sports Exerc19: 534-539, 1987
2.
Bates PC, Chew LF, Millward DJ: Effects of the anabolic steroid stanozolol on growth and protein metabolism in the rat. J Endocrinol114: 373-381, 1987
3.
Bauman DH, Richerson JT, Britt AL: A comparison of body and organ weights, physiologic parameters, and pathologic changes in target organs of rats given combinations of exercise, anabolic hormone, and protein supplementation. Am J Sports Med16: 397-402, 1988
4.
Bonne C., Saurat J-H., Chivot M., et al: Androgen receptor in human skin. Br J Dermatol97: 501-503, 1977
5.
Bradford MM: A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem72: 248-254, 1976
6.
Davison PF: Tendon, in Weiss B, Jayson MIV (eds): Collagen in Health and Disease . Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone , 1982, pp 498-505
7.
Exner GU, Staudte HW, Pette D.: Isometric training of rats. Effects upon fast and slow muscle and modification by an anabolic hormone (Nandrolone Decanoate) I. Female rats . Plugers Arch345: 1-14, 1973
8.
Haupt HA, Rovere GD: Anabolic steroids: A review of the literature. Am J Sports Med12: 469-484, 1984
9.
Hervey GR, Knibbs AV, Burkinshaw L., et al: Effects of methandienone on the performance and body composition of men undergoing athletic training. Clin Sci60: 457-461, 1981
10.
Izumi HE: Anabolic steroid use among athletes and the future. Athl Training25: 58-65, 1990
11.
. Karpakka J. , Virtanen P., Väänänen K., et al: Collagen synthesis in rat skeletal muscle during immobilization and remobilization. J Appl Physiol70: 1775-1780, 1991
12.
. Keenan Bs , Meyer Wj , Hadjian Aj , et al: Syndrome of androgen insensitivity in man: Absence of 5-dihydrotestosterone binding protein in skin fibroblasts . J Clin Endocrinol Metab38: 1143, 1974
13.
Kivirikko KI , Laitinen O., Prockop DJ: Modifications of a specific assay for hydroxyproline in urine. Anal Biochem19: 249-255, 1967
14.
Kivirikko KI , Myllylä R.: Posttranslational enzymes in the biosynthesis of collagen: Intracellular enzymes . Methods Enzymol82: 245-304, 1982
15.
Kivirikko KI, Myllylä R.: The hydroxylation of prolyl and lysyl residues, in Freedman RB, Hawkins H (eds): The Enzymology of Posttranslational Modification of Protein . London, Academic Press, 1980, pp 53-104
16.
Kochakian CD , Endahl BR: Changes in body weight of normal and castrated rats by different doses of testosterone propionate. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med100: 520-522, 1959
17.
Kochakian CD , Robertson E., Bartlett MN: Sites and nature of protein anabolism stimulated by testosterone propionate in the rat. Am J Physiol163: 332-346, 1950
18.
Kovanen V.: Effects of ageing and physical training on rat skeletal muscle. An experimental study on the properties of collagen, laminen, and fibre types in muscles serving different functions. Acta Physiol Scand135: Suppl 577, 1989
19.
Kramhøft M. , Solgaard S.: Spontaneous rupture of the extensor pollicis longus tendon after anabolic steroids. J Hand Surg11B: 87, 1986
20.
. Light N., Champion Ae: Characterization of muscle epimysium, perimysium and endomysium collagens . Biochem J219: 1017-1026, 1984
21.
Mayne R.: Muscle, in Weiss IB, Jayson MIV (eds): Collagen in Health and Disease . Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone , 1982, pp 445-455
22.
Michna H.: Organisation of collagen fibrils in tendon: Changes induced by an anabolic steroid II. A morphometric and stereologic analysis. Virchows Arch [B] 52: 87-98, 1986
23.
Michna H.: Organisation of collagen fibrils in tendon: Changes induced by an anabolic steroid I. Functional and ultrastructural studies. Virchows Arch [B] 52: 75-86, 1986
24.
Michna H., Stang-Voss C.: The predisposition to tendon rupture after doping with anabolic steroids . Int J Sports Med4: 59, 1983
25.
Myllylä R., Risteli L., Kivirikko KI: Assay of collagen-galactosyltransferase and collagen-glucosyltransferase activities and preliminary characterization of enzymic reactions with transferase from chick-embryo cartilage. Eur J Biochem52: 401-410, 1975
26.
Pesola M.: The haemodynamic effects induced by endurance training and nandrolone in the rat. Thesis, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland 1988
27.
Saartok T.: Steroid receptors as prediction of direct hormonal response in human and rabbit skeletal muscle. Thesis, Karolinska Institute , Stockholm, Sweden, 1983
28.
Salmons S.: Myotrophic effects of anabolic steroids. Vet Res Commun7: 19-26, 1983
29.
Savolainen J. : Immobilization effects on collagen synthesis and proteolytic activities in rat skeletal muscle. Thesis, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland 1988
30.
Takala Tes, Myllylä R., Salminen A., et al: Increased activities of prolyl 4-hydroxylase and galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase enzymes of collagen biosynthesis, in skeletal muscle of endurance-trained mice. Pflugers Arch399: 271-274, 1983
31.
Tsika RW, Herrick RE, Baldwin KM: Effect of anabolic steroids on overloaded and overloaded suspended skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol63: 2128-2133, 1987
32.
Tsika RW, Herrick RE, Baldwin KM: Effect of anabolic steroids on skeletal muscle mass during hindlimb suspension . J Appl Physiol63: 2122-2127, 1987
33.
Turto H., Lindy S., Halme J.: Protocollagen proline hydroxylase activity in work-induced hypertrophy of rat muscle. Am J Physiol226: 63-65, 1974
34.
Vies van der J.: Implications of basic pharmacology in the therapy with esters of nandrolone. Acta Endocrinol (Suppl) 271: 38-44, 1985
35.
Vies van der J.: On the mechanism of action of nandrolone phenylpropionate and nandrolone decanoate in rats. Acta Endocrinol49: 271-282, 1965
36.
Viru A., Korge P.: Role of anabolic steroids in the hormonal regulation of skeletal muscle adaptation . J Steroid Biochem11: 931-932, 1979
37.
Wijnand HP, Bosch Amg, Donker CW: Pharmacokinetic parameters of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) after intramuscular administration of nandrolone decanoate (Deca-Durabolin) to healthy volunteers . Acta Endocrinol (Suppl) 271: 19-30, 1985
38.
Witzmann FA : Soleus muscle atrophy in rats induced by cast immobilization: Lack of effect by anabolic steroids. Arch Phys Med Rehabil69: 81-85, 1988
39.
Wood TO, Cooke PH, Goodship AE: The effect of exercise and anabolic steroids on the mechanical properties and crimp morphology of the rat tendon. Am J Sports Med16: 153-158, 1988
40.
Yesalis CE, Wright JE, Lombardo JA: Anabolic-androgenic steroids: A synthesis of existing data and recommendations for future research. Clin Sports Med3: 109-134, 1989
41.
Yu-Yahiro JA , Michael RH, Nasrallah DV, et al: Morphologic and histologic abnormalities in female and male rats treated with anabolic steroids. Am J Sports Med17: 686-689, 1989
