Effects of an anabolic steroid (Durabolin) on rats' female genital organs under casein deficiency

• Main Author: V. Diloksambandh
• Other Authors: Mahidol University
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Medicine
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/10172

In order to study the effect of Durabolin on the reproductive organs under varying degrees of casein deficiency, female rats, 30 days of age, were divided into 8 groups. Rats of each group were fed with a diet containing either 28%, 24%, 21%, 18%, 15%, 12%, 9% or 3% casein. Rats of one half of each group were simultaneously injected subcutaneously with a daily dose of either 0.5 mg or 1.0 mg Durabolin (androstenolone phenylpropionate), while those of the other half, as the controls, were injected with oil of arachis of equal volume, for 21 days. The study revealed that: Casein deficiency inhibits the ovarian function and greater severity of casein deficiency produced more marked inhibiting effect on the ovarian function. Durabolin markedly suppresses the ovarian function in the high casein groups, judged by the decrease in ovarian weight and in number of corpora lutea containing ovaries, and the increase in number of atretic follicles. Durabolin further suppresses the ovarian function in casein deficient rats, judged by the increase in number of atretic follicles. Casein deficiency inhibits the growth of uterus, cervix, vagina and oviducts, judged by the decrease in weight, size and muscular thickness and by the degenerative changes of their structures. Durabolin strongly stimulates the uterus, cervix, vagina, oviducts and clitoris, judged by the marked increase in weight, size and muscular thickness and by the hyperplasia and hypertrophy of muscle fibers and the hyperactive changes of epithelial lining cells of these accessory reproductive organs. The increase in the lower casein groups is greater than that in the higher casein groups, because the accessory reproductive organs are under the influence of the estrous stages of ovaries which appeared only in the high casein groups and mild casein deficient groups, but there is no estrous stage of ovary in the severe casein deficient groups. The stimulating effect of Durabolin, therefore, is apparently greater in the lower casein groups than that in the high casein groups. Under casein deficiency, the stimulating effect of Durabolin is greatest on the uterus and then on the cervix, vagina and oviducts respectively. Durabolin had so strong a stimulating effect on the accessory reproductive organs that it can overcome the inhibiting effect of casein deficiency.