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We investigated the adverse effects of the anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) boldenone (BOL) and stanazolol (ST) on the enzymatic antioxidant systems of the rat liver. Male Wistar rats were divided in three protocols (P): PI, 5 mg/kg BOL or ST once a week for 4 weeks; PII, 2.5 mg/kg BOL or ST once a week for 8 weeks; PIII, 1.25 mg/kg BOL or ST once a week for 12 weeks. AAS were administered intramuscularly (0.2 ml, olive oil vehicle) once a week in all protocols. Activities of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), were investigated. We assessed the content of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), glycogen and lactate; and enzyme markers of neutrophils (myeloperoxidase, MPO) and macrophages (NAGase). PI and PII altered the SOD and CAT activities and increased the H 2 O 2 content. PI led to increases in the MPO and NAGase activities. In contrast, changes in GPx, GST and, GR were observed under PII and, to a greater extend, under PIII. Following PIII, GPx, GR, and GST exhibited reduced activities. All protocols altered the glycogen and lactate content. The use of high doses of AAS for a short duration first alters SOD/CAT activity. In contrast, at lower doses of AAS for long periods is associated with changes in the glutathione system. Protocols with high doses of AAS for a short duration exert the most deleterious effects on redox status, markers of cellular infiltration, and the metabolic functioning of hepatic tissues., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different protocols (P1, P2, and P3) of boldenone undecylenate (BU) and stanozolol (ST) on markers of liver and kidney function and variables of oxidative stress in these organs. For this, 54 male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups of six animals each. Each animal received intramuscularly 5.0 mg kg -1 of BU or ST once a week for 4 weeks (P1); 2.5 mg kg -1 of BU or ST once a week for 8 weeks (P2); and 1.25 mg kg -1 of BU or ST once a week for 12 weeks (P3). For each protocol, a control group was used, and they received 0.1 ml of olive oil intramuscularly. Blood and fragments of liver and kidney were collected for alanine aminotransferase activity (ALT), alkaline phosphatase, albumin, creatinine, cholesterol, total protein, triglycerides, urea, reactive oxygen species, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total thiols, and glutathione evaluation. The results show that the BU in doses of 5 (day 30) and 2.5 mg kg -1 (day 60) changes the ALT seric activity, possibly showing a hepatotoxic effect. High doses of BU may lead to increased levels of cholesterol (protocol P1) possibly due to inhibition of the normal steroid biosynthesis process. All protocols used caused changes in the redox balance of the organs studied (except in the liver, protocol P2), which indicates that these drugs might be harmful even at low doses.