70-Day Supraphysiologic Dose of the Power-Enhancing Drug Oxymetholone: the Effects on Oogenesis in NMRI Mice

Background and objectives Oxymetholone is an orally-administered active anabolic-androgenic steroid. This drug was synthesized in 1959. It is a 17α-methylated 5α-saturated compound. It is used for the treatment of a variety of diseases including anemia growth delay in children myocardial damage in heart failure and treatment of HIV associated wasting. This is one of the drugs used in high doses by the doping athletes because of its anabolic effects and its influence on muscular mass. In this study the effect of oxymetholone in supraphysiologic doses was evaluated on oogenesis in NMRI mice. Methods In our experiments 12 mg/kg/day oxymetholone was injected intraperitoneally to 4- and 6-week old mice for 70 days. Results The results demonstrated a significant difference between treatment and control groups after both 35 and 70 days of treatment. This drug led to significant decrease in the number of corpus lutea decrease in the number of atretic follicles decrease in the weight and diameter of ovaries decrease in the diameter of granulosa layer increase in number of primordial follicles decrease in number of primary follicles decrease in number of growing follicles decrease in the number of graafian follicles and decrease in the progesterone level. Additionally disordered formation of granulosa layers and growing of oocytes in antra anomaly of the ovular medulla and formation of two oocytes in one folliculus were observed in some mice. Conclusion The results show that oxymetholone decreases the ovarian growth and the rate of ovulation.