C. Perezagua-Clamagirand, J. Portugal-Alvarez, A. Velasco-Martin
Mar 1, 1975
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Archivos de farmacologia y toxicologia
Abstract
An attempt to discover by functional and histologic methods the role of anabolic steroids in the regeneration of diseased human livers and in livers of rats that had been experimentally damaged by poison is reported. 25 patients with liver cirrhosis were treated for 12 weeks with 100 mg methenolone enanthate im twice a week. Functional and histologic studies were made before and after treatment. Methenolone treatment significantly reduced serum bilirubinemia and alkaline phosphatases and increased total proteins albumin kalemia and total cholesterolemia. Histologically there was persistence of previous cellular infiltration a greater tendency to steatosis with oil drops in the cytoplasm and increase in mitosis with binucleation. Cirrhosis patients were considered to have shown improvement in some parameters due to the enzymatic-induction effect of the methenolone. A parallel experiment was carried out on 40 male Wistar rats. Some of the rats were castrated surgically 20 days before the experiments. Rat livers were damaged by either carbon tetrachloride inhalation; castration plus carbon tetrachloride inhalation; castration carbon tetrachloride inhalation and administration of testosterone; or castration carbontetrachloride inhalation plus methenolone injection. Carbon tetrachloride was given by spray for 40 consecutive days. Testosterone was given in doses of 10 mg/kg daily and methenolone in doses of 50 mg/kg daily during the last 20 days of carbon tetrachloride inhalation. Each rate received a total dose of 200 mg/kg testosterone and 1000 mg/kg methenolone. Rats were killed 40 days after completion of therapy and livers were studied histologically. In rats poisoned with carbon tetrachloride whether castrated or not necrosis alteration of the lobular structure and distortion of centro-lobular veins was found. In those rats also given testosterone or methenolone histologic changes we re similar to those found in the human cases given methenolone. In spite of results obtained in these studies the indiscriminate clinical use of methenolone enanthate is considered to be controversial.