Nandrolone treatment decreases the α1B-adrenoceptor mRNA level in rat kidney, but not the density of α1B-adrenoceptors in cultured MDCK-D1 kidney cells

In vitro evidence of the promoting effect of testosterone in kidney stone disease: A proteomics approach and functional validation

Incidence of kidney stone disease in males is 2- to 4-fold greater than in females. This study aimed to determine effects of testosterone on kidney stone disease using a proteomics approach. MDCK renal tubular cells were treated with or without 20nM testosterone for 7days. Cellular proteins were extracted, resolved by 2-DE, and stained with Deep Purple fluorescence dye (n=5 gels derived from 5 independent samples/group). Spot matching, quantitative intensity analysis, and statistics revealed significant changes in levels of nine protein spots after testosterone treatment. These proteins were then identified by nanoLC-ESI-Qq-TOF MS/MS. Global protein network analysis using STRING software revealed α-enolase as the central node of protein-protein interactions. The increased level of α-enolase was then confirmed by Western blotting analysis, whereas immunofluorescence study revealed the increased α-enolase on cell surface and intracellularly. Functional analysis confirmed the potential role of the increased α-enolase in enhanced calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystal-cell adhesion induced by testosterone. Finally, neutralization of surface α-enolase using anti-α-enolase antibody successfully reduced the enhanced COM crystal-cell adhesion to the basal level. Our data provided in vitro evidence of promoting effect of testosterone on kidney stone disease via enhanced COM crystal-cell adhesion by the increased surface α-enolase.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The incidence of kidney stone disease in male is 2- to 4-fold greater than in female. One of the possible factors of the male preference is the higher testosterone hormone level. However, precise molecular mechanisms that testosterone plays in kidney stone disease remained unclear. Our present study is the first exploratory investigation on such aspect using a proteomics approach. Our data also provide a novel mechanistic aspect of how testosterone can impact the risk of kidney stone formation (i.e. the discovery that testosterone increases alpha-enolase expression on the surface of renal tubular cells that is responsible, at least in part, for crystal-cell adhesion).

Impact of nandrolone decanoate on gene expression in endocrine systems related to the adverse effects of anabolic androgenic steroids

Elite athletes, body builders and adolescents misuse anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) in order to increase muscle mass or to enhance physical endurance and braveness. The high doses misused are associated with numerous adverse effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of chronic supratherapeutic AAS treatment on circulating hormones and gene expression in peripheral tissues related to such adverse effects. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure expression levels of in total 37 genes (including peptide hormones, cell membrane receptors, nuclear receptors, steroid synthesising enzymes and other enzymes) in the pituitary, testes, adrenals, adipose tissue, kidneys and liver of male Sprague-Dawley rats after 14-day administration of the AAS nandrolone decanoate, 3 or 15 mg/kg. Plasma glucose and levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), adiponectin, corticosterone, ghrelin, insulin and leptin were also measured. We found several expected effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, while the treatment also caused a number of other not previously identified changes in circulating factors and gene transcription levels such as the dose-dependent reduction of the beta(3)-adrenergic receptor in adipose tissue, reduction of both circulating and mRNA levels of adiponectin, up-regulation of both hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in de novo synthesis of cholesterol, and the receptor for ACTH in the adrenals. The results provide evidence for wide ranging effects of AAS on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, adipose tissue and substrates of the renal control of blood pressure.