Structural changes of cardiac tissue in response to boldenone supplementation with or without alcoholic extract of jujuba fruit during resistance training in male Wistar rats
Background: Abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids has been linked to a variety of different cardiovascular side effects. The use of medicinal herbs has been shown to reduce disease and cardiovascular disorders. This study aimed at examining the structural changes of the cardiac tissue in response to boldenone supplementation along with the alcoholic extract of jujuba during resistance training in male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 30 male Wistar rats aged 8-12 weeks (weight 202±9.34 g) were randomly divided into five groups: control, boldenone, extract of iujuba+boldenone, boldenone+resistance training and boldenone+resistance training+extract of jujuba. The resistance training program included climbing the ladder for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, 1 session training in a day and each session consisted of the 3 sets and 5 repetitions. Injection was conducted in depth in the hamstring once a week, on an appointed day. After anesthesia, autopsy was performed and the cardiac tissue was isolated. Results: The results showed that boldenone caused tissue damage, hyperemia, abnormal cytoplasm and unclear and dispersed nuclei. In the boldenone+resistance training group, the heart tissue had high levels of hyperemia and the muscle cells were a little abnormal. In the boldenone+jujube group, appearance of the tissue was normal and a restorative effect was evident in the tissue. Conclusion: It seems that boldenone can cause structural damage to the heart tissue and the resistance training along with the jujube extract can reduce some of the cardiovascular disorders (necrosis and inflammation) caused by the use of anabolic steroids
