Background: Impotence is a consistent inability to sustain an erection sufficient for
sexual intercourse. Testosterone administration in men with liver cirrhosis improves the sense of well-being, increase serum proteins and reduces edema without serious adverse effects. Oral, alkylated forms of testosterone can create a situation of liver toxicity. There is little evidence that other methods of administration cause liver dysfunction. Most doctors be indecisive on prescribing androgen preparations in patients with liver disease, so this work was designed to study the effect of androgen replacement (injectable form) on the murine diseased liver, and subsequently whether it can be used safely in men with chronic liver disease or not.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of exogenous injectable androgen and praziquantel on the diseased liver of mice.
Setting: National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute (NHTMRI).
Materials and methods: Forty male mouse (weighing 25-30 g) were infested subcutaneously with Schistosoma mansoni (100 cercariae/animal), and then they were divided into four groups. Mice in the first group were infected only and used as infected control group. Mice of group II and IV were given the Schistosomicide, praziquantel in a dose of 0.3mg/mouse. Androgen (Sustanon) was injected intramuscularly in a dose of 0.125 mg/mouse, (three doses, 3 weeks apart) in group III and IV. At the end of the trial all animals were then sacrificed to study histopathologically the possible effects of androgen on the liver tissue. Liver function tests were done in animals of group I, III, and IV, first prior to study and finally by the end of study. Results of assayed liver function tests and histopathological examination were tested for statistical significant association.
Results: there were marked elevation of the liver enzymes in mice of group IV compared to the corresponding control (p<0.01) and mice of the third group (p<0.01), which reflect deterioration of hepatic function in those mice received the antibilharzial drug praziquantel. On the other hand there was statistical difference between control group (group I) and androgen treated group III (P < 0.05). Histological examination of liver sections of mice in all groups revealed the presence of typical bilharzial granulomas. The mean diameter of bilharzial granulomas clearly dropped to 283.20 micrometer in group II compared to 392.55 in corresponding control. The difference between these two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.000). ). In group III there was no statistical difference in the number of egg granulomas (P> 0.05) compared to group I. There was a reduction of granulomas diameter in group III and IV (animals injected with androgen) in comparison to group I (P>0.05 and P<0.01) respectively. Also comparison between the four groups as regards the type of bilharzial granulomas, it is clearly evident that the predominant type of granulomas in the androgen treated groups is the cellular type (38% and 57.1%) in group III and IV respectively and this may reflect the possible beneficial effect of androgen on the diseased liver.
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