Erythropoietin Promotes Deleterious Cardiovascular Effects and Mortality Risk in a Rat Model of Chronic Sports Doping

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2009

Authors

Nuno Piloto (Author) Other; Helena M Teixeira (Author) Other; Edite Teixeira Lemos (Author) Other; Belmiro Parada (Author) Other; Patricia Garrido (Author) Other; Jose Sereno (Author) Other; Rui Pinto (Author) Other; Lina Carvalho (Author) Other; Elisio Costa (Author) FFUP; Luis Belo (Author) FFUP; Alice Santos Silva (Author) FFUP; Frederico Teixeira (Author) Other; Flavio Reis (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Cardiovascular Toxicology

Vol. 9

Pages: 201-210

ISSN: 1530-7905

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 17 Citations

Scopus - 20 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Clinical medicine

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-DRQ

DOI: 10.1007/s12012-009-9054-2

Abstract (EN): Athletes who abuse recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) consider only the benefit to performance and usually ignore the potential short and long-term liabilities. Elevated haematocrit and dehydratation associated with intense exercise may reveal undetected cardiovascular risk, but the mechanisms underlying it remain to be fully explained. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of rhEPO in rats under chronic aerobic exercise. A ten week protocol was performed in four male Wistar rat groups: control-sedentary; rhEPO-50 IU kg(-1), 3 times/wk; exercised (EX)-swimming for 1 h, 3 times/wk; EX + rhEPO. One rat of the EX + rhEPO group suffered a sudden death episode during the week 8. rhEPO in trained rats promoted erythrocyte count increase, hypertension, heart hypertrophy, sympathetic and serotonergic overactivation. The suddenly died rat's tissues presented brain with vascular congestion; left ventricular hypertrophy, together with a "cardiac-liver", suggesting the hypothesis of heart failure as cause of sudden death. In conclusion, rhEPO doping in rats under chronic exercise promotes not only the expected RBC count increment, suggesting hyperviscosity, but also other serious deleterious cardiovascular and thromboembolic modifications, including mortality risk, which might be known and assumed by all sports authorities, including athletes and their physicians.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10