Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) have been used in clinics for decades. The misuse of AAS has previously been attributed merely to sport athletes, taking AAS with intentions to increase muscle mass, enhance physical performance and to improve results in competitions. Today, the misuse of AAS has spread to adolescents and young adults not connected to sports. Alarmingly, many reports are pointing at severe psychiatric adverse effects among AAS abusers, which include mood swings, mania, anxiety, depression and aggression. Numerous examples of severe and often unprovoked violence and brutal crimes have been connected to AAS abuse and there is a strong need for a better understanding of the underlying biochemical events that might account for the adverse behaviors induced by AAS. The general aim of this thesis was to study the effect of chronic AAS administration on neuropeptide circuits in the rat brain associated with the regulation of rewarding effects, memory, anxiety, depression and aggression, using nandrolone decanoate as a prototype AAS. Results demonstrated that daily administration of AAS to rats in doses comparable to those taken by AAS abusers, in certain brain structures significantly affected, a) the levels of the opioid peptides dynorphin B and Met-enkephalin-Arg6Phe7, b) the levels of the tachykinin substance P (SP), c) the density of the SP neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor, d) the level of the SP metabolite SP1-7 that frequently exerts opposite effects to SP, e) the SP1-7 generating enzyme substance P endopeptidase (SPE) and finally, f) the levels of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) often co-localized with SP. The alterations seen in the levels and activities of these neurochemical components are in many aspects compatible with behaviors typified among AAS abusers.

Introduction: Strength training has been consistently demonstrated in studies as responsible for significant increases in lean mass and metabolic rate, accompanied by significant reductions in body fat weight, using strategies to accelerate this process androgenic anabolic steroids has been enough used by practitioners of this modality. Objective: To evaluate the strength training acting in conjunction with Androgenic Anabolic Steroids on the percentage of body fat of eutrophic rats. Methods: Twentyfour female rats randomly distributed in four groups were used: 1) Sedentary Control (CS) 2) Trained Control (CT) 3) Sedentary Nandrolone Decanoate (DS) 4) Trained Nandrolone Decanoate (DT). Strength training was performed in a squatting apparatus composed of four sets of 12 repetitions, with intensity of 70% of 1RM for eight weeks. On alternate days, the DS and DT groups received daily 5 mg/kg nandrolone decanoate intraperitoneally and the CS and CT groups received only saline solution (0.9%). The data represent the mean ± standard error of the mean. Student's t-test was used for analysis between groups, ns = no statistical difference. Results: After eight weeks of training, the weight between the CS and CT groups were different when compared to the DS and DT groups (there was no statistical difference between groups (CS vs CT, DS vs DT), in this sense, the CT group Who underwent strength training had a 10.8% and 11.2% increase in strength, in the 6th and 8th weeks, respectively, when compared to the CS group. The fatty contents of different territories were evaluated as follows: subcutaneous (SUB), retroperitoneal (RETRO) and periovarian (PERI) fats, which did not identify statistical differences between the groups evaluated. Conclusion: The use of Nandrolone Decanoate in trained rats did not cause changes in weight, strength and adipose tissue. / Introdução: Treinamentos de força têm sido consistentemente demonstrado em estudos como responsáveis por aumentos significativos na massa magra e da taxa metabólica, acompanhada por reduções significativas no peso de gordura corporal, utilizando-se de estratégias para acelerar este processos os esteroides anabólicos androgênicos tem sido bastante utilizados por praticantes desta modalidade. Objetivo: Avaliar o treinamento de força atuando de forma conjunta com Esteroides Anabólicos Androgênicos sobre o percentual de gordura corporal de ratas eutróficas. Métodos: Foram utilizados 24 ratas fêmeas distribuídas randomicamente em quatro grupos: 1) Controle Sedentário (CS) 2) Controle Treinado (CT) 3) Decanoato de Nandrolona Sedentário (DS) 4) Decanoato de Nandrolona Treinado (DT). O treinamento de força foi realizado em aparelho de agachamento composto por quatro séries de 12 repetições, com intensidade de 70% de 1RM durante oito semanas. Em dias alternados, os grupos DS e DT recebiam diariamente Decanoato de nandrolona intraperitoneal 5mg/kg por secção e os grupos CS e CT recebiam somente solução salina (0,9%). Os dados representam a média ± erro padrão da média. Utilizou-se o teste t de Student para análise entre os grupos, ns = sem diferença estatística. Resultados: Após oito semanas de treinamento, o peso entre os grupos CS e CT foram diferentes quando comparados com os grupos DS e DT (não foi observado diferença estatística intergrupos (CS vs CT; DS vs DT)), neste sentido, o grupo CT que foram submetidos ao treinamento de força apresentaram um incremento da força de 10,8% e 11,2%, nas 6ª e 8ª semanas, respectivamente, quando comparado ao grupo CS. Foram avaliados os conteúdos gordurosos de diferentes territórios conforme segue: gorduras subcutâneas (SUB), retroperitoneal (RETRO) e periovariana (PERI) o qual não identificamos diferenças estatísticas entre os grupos avaliados. Conclusão: O uso de Decanoato de Nandrolona nas ratas treinadas não causou alteração, no peso, na força e no tecido adiposo.