Anabolic steroids in polytrauma patients. Influence on renal nitrogen and amino acid losses: a double-blind study

Severe trauma leads to considerable losses of nitrogen in the first days after the accident. As nutritional efforts cannot reduce these losses sufficiently, an adjunctive therapy using the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate (Nd) was applied. In a double-blind study 10 male multiple-traumatized patients each received 50 mg of Nd on day 3 and 25 mg of Nd on day 6 after the trauma, an additional 10 patients received placebo only. Both groups had identical nutritional support. Nitrogen balance, total nitrogen excretion as well as plasma amino acid concentration, and urine amino acid excretion were measured daily. The anabolic agent improved the nitrogen balance mainly by reducing nitrogen excretion. 3-Methylhistidine excretion and renal amino acid losses were decreased. Nandrolone decanoate increased the concentration of total plasma amino acids. The underlying principle seems to be an amino acid-saving mechanism with a renal site of action. It is shown that in the early posttraumatic period nandrolone decanoate improves nitrogen metabolism. Further studies are required to determine whether this offers a clinical benefit to trauma patients.