ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROID AND ADRENAL-STEROID EFFECTS ON HIPPOCAMPAL PLASTICITY

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic androgen-like compoun ds which are taken in high doses by athletes with the intention of enh ancing muscular appearance, strength and/or athletic performance. Rece nt research indicates that high doses of AAS may influence the functio ns of the hippocampus. This evidence led us to explore the extent to w hich chronic AAS treatments influence spatial memory and the integrity of the hippocampus in the rat. Gonadally intact adult male Long-Evans rats were treated with either the AAS methandrostenolone, a steroid ' cocktail' (TNB; testosterone cypionate, boldenone undecylenate and nan drolone decanoate), or the oil vehicle daily for 12 weeks. A group of male rats treated with corticosterone (CORT; 10 mg/day) was also exami ned. Spatial memory was assessed in the Morris water maze after 10 wee ks of hormone treatment. At 12 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, blo od collected and the brain sectioned to assess hippocampal cell number . There were no impairments in the acquisition or retention of the Mor ris water maze in any hormone treatment group. Although serum testoste rone levels were elevated in rats treated with TNB relative to the oil controls, neither the TNB or methandrostenolone treatments produced c hanges in hippocampal cell number. Serum CORT levels were significantl y elevated in the rats treated with CORT and cell loss (15%) was detec table in the CA3b subfield in this group of animals. These results ind icate that the AAS administered in the present study were not detrimen tal to hippocampal spatial memory or cell survival and that, while chr onic CORT may produce mild hippocampal cell loss, this loss is not acc ompanied by deficits on a spatial memory task.