Chronic testosterone administration improves cardiac contractility and has a beneficial effect on the haemostatic system by enhancing fibrinolytic activity and inducing hypocoagulation in healthy rats

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of chronic supraphysiological dose of testosterone propionate administration cardiovascular function in rats from the perspective of haemostatic function including platelet functions, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Testosterone significantly enhanced cardiac contractility by enhancing LVSP (10%), dp/dt_max (36.7%), dp/dt_min (14.6%) without altering heart rate, diastolic function, and serum lipid profile. While it has no effect on platelets count, thromboxane B2 levels, and platelet aggregation, testosterone significantly enhanced bleeding time and increased circulatory and thoracic aorta mRNA and protein levels of tPA (46.5%, 58.2%, and 74.3%, respectively) and significantly decreased those of PAI-1 (29.3%, 26.4%, and 32.8%, respectively). While there were no significant changes in PT and aPTT, mRNA and protein levels of prothrombin and factor VII were downregulated in the livers of the testosterone-treated rats (57.7% and 64.9%, respectively). Overall, chronic testosterone administration in rats may act as a cardio-protective agent by modulating haemostasis in rats.

Keywords:

• Testosterone
• cardiovascular
• platelet
• coagulation
• fibrinolysis
• prothrombin
• factor VII

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the technical staff of the animal house facilities at the College of pharmacy at the college of pharmacy at King Saud University for their help in the management, taking care, and feeding of the animals used in this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. The authors declare that this is a self-funded study.