Possible Protective Role of Whey Protein on the Rat's Liver Tissues Treated with Nandrolone decanoate

Nandrolone and whey protein are used as supplementary food and athletic food. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible histological and ultrastructural alterations in the liver of adult rats after treatment of the anabolic androgenic steroids (Nandrolone decanoate) and whey protein.

Twenty eight Wistar Albino male rats were used in the present study divided into 4 groups: Control group received 0.5 mL of saline solution by oral, Nandrolone group injected intramuscular (10 mg kg-1 b.wt./week for 3 months), whey protein group treated by oral (5 mg kg-1 b.wt./week for 3 months) and Nandrolone and whey protein group. At the end of the experimentation, all the rats were sacrificed and liver samples were processed for histological and ultrastructural examination. Haematoxylin and eosin stains for general histological examination and Mallory trichrome stain for collagen fibers.

Light microscopy examination of the liver of the nandrolone group showed bleeding and widening of the blood sinusoids. Degeneration, vacuolation, coagulative necrosis and pyknotic nuclei were observed. In addition, increased collagen fibers were detected. Whey protein group showed more or less normal hepatocytes, blood sinusoids and collagen fibers. The nandrolone and whey protein group illustrated normal appearance of hepatocytes with vacuolation in some of the hepatocytes and normal blood sinusoids and collagen fibers were noticed. Electron microscopic examination of the nandrolone group showed depletion of the nuclear chromatin, damaged mitochondria, increased of lysosomes, some lipid droplets, damaged blood sinusoids and space of Disse and increased of Kupffer cells, whereas the whey protein group appeared normal. The nandrolone and whey protein group showed well developed hepatocytes, regular space of Disse and normal hepatic sinusoids.

Whey protein may be ameliorate the hepatic architecture after treatment with nandrolone.