Researchers from Jordan University of Science and Technology and Mutah University discovered that male sex hormones increase female rats aggressive behavior and weight even in moderate doses, while have no such effect on male rats.
It is no secret that males, on average, are larger than the average female. This difference between the genders becomes most apparent after sexual maturity, which comes about due to the secretion of various sex hormones. The most important sex hormones for developing and maintaining the masculine apparence in males are called androgens. While testosterone is the the most widely known androgen, other androgens include dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione.
While high testosterone levels lead to more developed muscle mass, they can also have a negative feedback by reducing general hormone secretion. They can also impair the ability of androgen receptors in the body to bind to androgens, leading to diminishing returns.
It may also come as a surprise to many that testosterone – that famed musculine sex hormone – can also be found in females, albeit at lower concentrations (on average) than in males. The male sex hormone, though, can be converted to the female sex hormone oestrogen. Male sex hormones also play a critical role in females, as their dearth will lead to ovarian failure. Androgen receptors can even be found in the female genitalia. It is therefore clear that androgens are important for the continuous health of the female body.
It should come as no surprise that any deficiency in androgens or a reduction in their levels will have severe consequences. Such deficiencies, therefore, need to be corrected via androgen replacement therapy. There have been several attempts to synthetically produce testosterone-like hormones that will not be instantly metabolized by the body. However, such drugs are often being used by athletes without a medical prescription and in violation of the law. Their use can have many adverse effects, including increased aggression and various negative effects on several body organs.
Sustanon 250 solution is a hormone replacement drug that contains four different substances: testosterone, propionate, phenylpropionate, and isocaproate. Researchers from Jordan University of Science and Technology and Mutah University have recently explored the effect of different doses of sustanon 250 on the body weight of rats of both genders.
The researchers injected 36 male and 36 female rats with different doses of sustanon 250, and measured their weight every week. Curiously, they came to the realization that sustanon 250 at all doses did not have any effect on either body weight or aggressive behavior in male rats. It is possible that this outcome was the result of the appetite-stifling effect of testosterone, and of the lack of exercise that aids testosterone in increasing muscle tisse.
The results were dramatically different for female rats, in which even moderate doses of androgens led to an increase in their weight and their aggressive behavior.
If the same results apply for human beings – and much research still needs to be done to verify that conclusion – it would mean that commonly used androgens could have a dramatically different impact in women than in men. As many research projects have traditionally focused on men – especially in the context of male testosterone replacement – it is critical that such outcomes be well-understood, especially for ensuring the health of female athletes that inject themselves with androgens.
The researchers behind this research were Nasr Alrabadi, Rasha Maraqa, Haneen Sarayrah, Karem H. Alzoubi, Mohammad Alqudah, and Doa’a G. Al-u’datt from Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan; and Ghaid J. Al-Rabadi from Mutah University in Jordan.
Original content by Nawartna
