Impact of chronic administration of anabolic androgenic steroids and taurine on blood pressure in rats.

Supraphysiological administration of anabolic androgenic steroids has been linked to increased blood pressure. The widely distributed amino acid taurine seems to be an effective depressor agent in drug-induced hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of chronic high dose administration of nandrolone decanoate (DECA) and taurine on blood pressure in rats and to verify the potentially involved mechanisms. The study was conducted in 4 groups of 8 adult male Wistar rats, aged 14 weeks, treated for 12 weeks with: DECA (A group); vehicle (C group); taurine (T group), or with both drugs (AT group). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at the beginning of the study (SBP1), 2 (SBP2) and 3 months (SBP3) later. Plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and plasma end products of nitric oxide metabolism (NOx) were also determined. SBP3 and SBP2 were significantly increased compared to SBP1 only in the A group (P<0.002 for both). SBP2, SBP3 and ACE activity showed a statistically significant increase in the A vs C (P<0.005), andvs AT groups (P<0.05), while NOx was significantly decreased in the A and AT groups vs controls (P=0.01). ACE activity was strongly correlated with SBP3 in the A group (r=0.71, P=0.04). These findings suggest that oral supplementation of taurine may prevent the increase in SBP induced by DECA, an effect potentially mediated by angiotensin-converting enzyme.

Impact of chronic administration of anabolic androgenic steroids and taurine on blood pressure in rats

Supraphysiological administration of anabolic androgenic steroids has been linked to increased blood pressure. The widely distributed amino acid taurine seems to be an effective depressor agent in drug-induced hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of chronic high dose administration of nandrolone decanoate (DECA) and taurine on blood pressure in rats and to verify the potentially involved mechanisms. The study was conducted in 4 groups of 8 adult male Wistar rats, aged 14 weeks, treated for 12 weeks with: DECA (A group); vehicle (C group); taurine (T group), or with both drugs (AT group). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at the beginning of the study (SBP1), 2 (SBP2) and 3 months (SBP3) later. Plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and plasma end products of nitric oxide metabolism (NOx) were also determined. SBP3 and SBP2 were significantly increased compared to SBP1 only in the A group (P<0.002 for both). SBP2, SBP3 and ACE activity showed a statistically significant increase in the A vs C (P<0.005), andvs AT groups (P<0.05), while NOx was significantly decreased in the A and AT groups vs controls (P=0.01). ACE activity was strongly correlated with SBP3 in the A group (r=0.71, P=0.04). These findings suggest that oral supplementation of taurine may prevent the increase in SBP induced by DECA, an effect potentially mediated by angiotensin-converting enzyme.

[Assessment of compressive optic neuropathy in hipofizar tumors]. / Evaluarea neuropatiei optice de compresie in tumorile hipofizare- aspecte morfologice calitative si cantitative.

PURPOSE: Assessment of optic nerve head configuration in eyes with compressive optic neuropathy due to pituitary tumors--morphological aspects of "band atrophy" (documented by fundus biomicroscopy and digital stereo disc photography) and quantitative analysis of topographic changes (testing the abilities of HRT and OCT in detection and analysis the specific pattern of nerve fiber layer loss in chiasmal compression). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Optic disc morphological assessment of compressive optic neuropathy in 56 patients with pituitary macroadenomas (documented by direct ophthalmoscopy, fundus biomicroscopy using Volk lens of 90 degrees and digital stereo disc photography using Zeiss Visucam digital camera). Stereometric analysis of "band atrophy" using HRT in 9 cases and OCT in 5 cases. RESULTS: The optic disc morphology evaluation of the 54 patients showed bilateral "band atrophy" in 7 cases, different evolutive aspects (temporal pallor, global pallor, optic disc cupping) in 29 cases and normal configuration in 5 cases. HRT evaluation: overestimation of rim parameters and underestimation of cup parameters; reduction of the RNFL thickness and RNFL cross sectional area in 6 cases; reduction of HVC values in 6 eyes and positive values in 1 eye. OCT analysis of the Avg. thickness: outside normal limits values in 6 eyes and borderline values in 4 eyes. CONCLUSIONS: HRT quantified RNFL thickness reduction for the long standing pituitary macroadenomas, its sensitivity increasing with the advanced stage of the compression, but lacking OCT's specificity. OCT is the election technique for documenting RNFL loss in compressive optic neuropathy due to pituitary tumors, more objective than conventional methods, especially in the process of postoperative management (subtle structural alterations being early detected before functional loss recordings.