The Effect of Sustanon on Androgen Receptor Gene Expression, Testicular Histological and Gonadotropin Hormones Changes in Rats

Sustanon is considered an oil-based injectable anabolic-androgenic steroid. It comprises four different testosterone esters. The principal androgen in the testis is testosterone which is mediated by the androgen receptor. The current study aimed to investigate AR gene expression and biochemical and histological analyses in male rats after using various dosages of Sustanon. There were four groups of male adult rats. The first group (control) received an intramuscular injection of Sustanon solution (peanut oil). The second, third, and fourth groups underwent the treatment with a weekly injection of different Sustanon dosages of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg for 8 weeks, respectively. The blood samples were obtained and the measurement of the serum levels of FSH and LH were conducted. The testes were extracted for histopathological and gene expression investigation. Using generated cDNA, real-time PCR was used to evaluate AR gene expression. SPSS software was used to do statistical analysis and analysis of variance on the data. Sustanon was shown to drastically lower the number of Leydig and Sertoli cells, perhaps resulting in a large drop in FSH and LH concentrations, according to the results.The expression of AR was dose-dependent and significantly increased at a dose of 10 mg / kg and decreased significantly at a dose of 30 mg / kg compared to the control group. Sustanon is distinguished by its unique structure. It induced biochemical plus histopathological damages and changed AR gene expression in adult male rats that may cause infertility.