Quantitative analysis of mice’s Purkinje cells under the use by anabolic steroids

Abstract

Introduction. In the last decades anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use has increased and remains a high risk to customer’s health, mainly in the neurologic aspect. This article seeks to elucidate mechanisms by which AAS act in the cerebellum, by quantitative analyzing of Pur­kinje cells. Method. Sixty Swiss mice were divided into 6 experimen­tal groups (n=10): G1 - males and female control; G2 – males and females treated with Deposteron®; G3 – males and females treated with Winstrol Depot®. The treatment lasts 30 days and consisted of intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 0.8 mg/kg of Deposteron® and 1.8 mg/kg of Winstrol Depot®. The animals were also submitted to swimming thrice a week during 30 days. Euthanasia was performed by Halothane inhalation and the cerebellums were fixed in a 4% formaldehyde solution in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4 O.1M). Fragments were processed and stained with Cresil-Violet and put to Purkinje cells counting. Results. After analyzing the samples, we could observe that there were no differences among females. However, among males treated with Deposteron® under the use of this specific AAS presented a decrease in the number of Purkinje cells (p<0.05). Conclusion. Therefore concluded that AAS is associated with the de­crease in Purkinje cells in male animals treated with Deposteron®.