ANABOLIC-ANDROGENIC STEROID EFFECTS ON SEXUAL RECEPTIVITY IN OVARIECTOMIZED RATS

Anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) compounds are synthetic androgens ta ken by athletes to increase physical strength and endurance. Recent st udies in our laboratory have demonstrated that AAS administration disr upts the estrous cycle of Long-Evans rats. The present experiments exa mined the effects of six commonly abused AAS compounds on sexual recep tivity in ovariectomized rats. Adult female Long-Evans rats received e stradiol benzoate (EB; 2.0 mu g/day sc) for 6 consecutive days followe d by 15 days of EB concurrent with daily sc injections of 7.5 mg/kg of one of the following AAS compounds: 17 alpha-methyltestosterone, meth androstenolone, nandrolone decanoate, stanozolol, oxymetholone, testos terone cypionate, or the oil vehicle. On Day 15, all female rats recei ved progesterone (1.0 mg/rat)4 h before testing. Tests for sexual rece ptivity were conducted on Days 3, 6, 14, and 15 of AAS treatment. Alth ough the time course of AAS effects on sexual receptivity varied, some overall effects were clear. For example, 17 alpha-methyltestosterone, methandrostenolone, nandrolone decanoate, and stanozolol interfered w ith the display of sexual receptivity on Day 14, whereas oxymetholone and testosterone cypionate had no effect. Rats in all groups displayed high levels of sexual receptivity after receiving progesterone on Day 15. Our results show that AAS compounds vary in their degree of inhib ition of female sexual behavior in ovariectomized rats. (C) 1997 Acade mic Press.