Effects of an anabolic steroid and vitamin B complex upon myopathy induced by corticosteroids

In rats repeatedly treated with dexamethasone, body weight decreased severely, creatine content in urine increased, tetanic contraction of the gastrocnemius muscle decayed easily and twitch tension of the muscle had a slow rise time. In a group of rats given large doses of vitamin B complex along with the anabolic steroid, nandrolone phenylproprionate, all syndromes described above for the dexamethasone-treated rats were prevented, dose dependently by vitamin B complex. The individual components of the vitamin B preparation combined with the nandrolone phenylpropionate partially suppressed the changes induced by dexamethasone. Diphenylhydantoin depressed the slow rise time of twitch tension as effectively as did vitamin B complex with nandrolone phenylpropionate. From the results presented here and facts previously reported it was concluded that the condition of the animals could be well controlled by repeated administration of vitamin B complex with nandrolone phenylpropionate, even though dexamethasone was repeatedly injected.