G. Gayan-ramirez et al., Nandrolone decanoate does not enhance training effects but increases IGF-ImRNA in rat diaphragm, J APP PHYSL, 88(1), 2000, pp. 26-34
To examine whether concomitant anabolic steroid treatment combined with tra
ining might enhance previously observed training effects (A. Bisschop, G. G
ayan-Ramirez, H. Rollier, R. Gosselink, R. Dom, V. de Beck, and M. Decramer
. Am. J. Respir. Grit. Care Med. 155. 1583-1589, 1997) and whether insulin-
like growth factor I(IGF-I) was involved in these changes, male and female
rats were submitted to inspiratory muscle training (IMT) for 8 wk (30 min/d
ay, 5 times/wk) and were compared with untrained controls. During the last
5 wk of training, trained rats were divided to receive weekly either low-do
se (LD; 1.5 mg/kg) or high-dose (HD; 7.5 mg/kg) nandrolone decanoate or sal
ine for the IMT and control rats. In both sexes, diaphragm muscle mass and
contractile properties were unchanged with treatment. In males, HD resulted
in decreased diaphragm type I cross-sectional area (-15%; P < 0.05, HD vs.
IMT), whereas no changes were observed in females. Finally, an increase in
IGF-I mRNA levels was present in HD male(+73%; P < 0.05, HD vs. IMT) and f
emale treated rats [LD(+58%) and HD (+96%) vs. IMT; P < 0.001]. We conclude
that administration of nandrolone decanoate did not enhance the previously
observed training effects in rat diaphragm, although it increased the IGF-
I mRNA expression levels.