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Horm Metab Res 2010; 42(2): 122-129
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1241843
Animals, Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Testosterone Administration Induces Protection Against Global Myocardial Ischemia

S. E. Borst1 , 2 , J. C. Quindry3 , J. F. Yarrow1 , 2 , C. F. Conover1 , S. K. Powers2
  • 1Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
  • 2Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
  • 3Department of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
Further Information

Publication History

received 24.07.2009

accepted 16.09.2009

Publication Date:
27 October 2009 (online)

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Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that chronic testosterone treatment would promote a cardioprotective phenotype against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. For this study, 3-month-old F344 male rats underwent sham-surgery, orchiectomy (ORX), or ORX plus 21 days testosterone treatment (1.0 mg testosterone/day). At sacrifice, cardiac performance was assessed in a working heart model of I/R (25 min of global ischemia and 45 min of reperfusion). ORX reduced serum testosterone by ∼98% and testosterone administration elevated serum testosterone to a concentration of 4.6-fold over that of Sham-operated controls (p<0.05). ORX did not significantly impair recovery of cardiac performance following I/R, but did increase cardiac release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) during pre- and post-ischemia (p<0.05). Testosterone administration prevented the ORX-induced increase in LDH during both pre- and post-ischemia and increased post-ischemic recovery of aortic flow, cardiac output, cardiac work, left ventricular developed pressure, and contractility (p<0.05) during reperfusion. Testosterone administration also increased left ventricular expression of catalase, but did not affect the expression of manganese superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, or sarcolemmal KATP channel protein Kir6.2. Neither circulating nor cardiac concentrations of estradiol were altered by either treatment. We conclude that administration of high-dose testosterone confers cardioprotection through yet to be identified androgen-dependent mechanism(s).

Key words

testosterone - ischemia - reperfusion - cardioprotection

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Correspondence

S. E. BorstPhD 

Malcom Randall VA Medical Center

GRECC – 182

1601 SW Archer Road

Gainesville

FL 32608-1197

USA

Phone: +1/352/374 61 14

Fax: +1/352/374 61 42

Email: seborst@ufl.edu