Other studies have compared the effects of using ND and other AAS. In this line of work, Blasberg et al. [39] observed that the treatment with 17 α-methyltestosterone, methandrostenolone, and ND, at doses that mimic those used by human athletes , produced reversible and a dose-dependent sexual receptivity conduct and estrous vaginal cytology in rats over a 2-week period. During the intervening period, the effects of the treatment with ND at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg on the estrous cycle of these animals were longer while vaginal estrous resumed within 2 months of treatment completion. Another study [32] analyzed the effects of using ND (7.5 mg/kg of body weight), testosterone esters (7.5 mg/kg of body weight), or both steroids at once during 8 weeks. The results showed that the steroidal treatment did not affect the uterine weight. In this study, all the androgenized females presented estral acyclicity and endometrium characterized by papilliferous luminal lining, edematous stroma with hemorrhagic areas, and secretory activity. Changes were observed in the morphometrical thickness parameters of the luminal epithelium, myometrium, and perimetrium in the androgenized groups. In addition, none of the female rats got pregnant when treated with steroids in the pre-gestational period. Thus, the treatment during organogenesis affected negatively the reproductive parameters. Collectively, these findings are summarized in Table 14.1.

Some other AAS have also been used in the investigation of the effects caused by these substances on the female reproductive system, such as testosterone undecanoate [50] or testosterone [51] (summarized in Table 14.2). Bento-Silva et al. [50] observed that testosterone undecanoate (5 mg/kg, 3 days/week for 4 weeks) combined with moderate physical training (50 min/day swim, 5 days/week for 4 weeks) altered the reproductive system of rats through interruption of the estrous cycle and ovarian atrophy. Triemstra and Wood [51] observed inhibitory effects on female reproduction by administering testosterone (1.0 µg/µl) to female hamsters (n = 12). Bronson et al. [37] investigated (9 weeks) adult female mice exposed to a combination of four AAS (testosterone, testosterone cypionate, methyltestosterone, and norethandrolone) at doses that were either one or five times the androgenic maintenance level (silastic capsule implanted under the skin on the back of a mouse). These authors suggest that chronic treatment with AAS resulted in suppression of LH, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and estradiol and cessation of the vaginal cycle.