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Cited by 121Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorHormonal and reproductive studiesDoping in Sports

Reinforcing aspects of androgens

Wood, Ruth I.·2004·Physiology & Behavior
DOI 10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.08.012
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Abstract

Are androgens reinforcing? Androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) are drugs of abuse. They are taken in large quantities by athletes and others to increase performance, often with negative long-term health consequences. As a result, in 1991, testosterone was declared a controlled substance. Recently, Brower [K.J. Brower, Anabolic steroid abuse and dependence. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 4 (2002) 377-387.] proposed a two-stage model of AAS dependence. Users initiate steroid use for their anabolic effects on muscle growth. With continued exposure, dependence on the psychoactive effects of AAS develops. However, it is difficult in humans to separate direct psychoactive effects of AAS from the user's psychological dependence on the anabolic effects of AAS. Thus, studies in laboratory animals are useful to explore androgen reinforcement. Testosterone induces a conditioned place preference in rats and mice, and is voluntarily consumed through oral, intravenous, and intracerebroventricular self-administration in hamsters. Active, gonad-intact male and female hamsters will deliver 1 microg/microl testosterone into the lateral ventricles. Indeed, some individuals self-administer testosterone intracerebroventricularly to the point of death. Male rats develop a conditioned place preference to testosterone injections into the nucleus accumbens, an effect blocked by dopamine receptor antagonists. These data suggest that androgen reinforcement is mediated by the brain. Moreover, testosterone appears to act through the mesolimbic dopamine system, a common substrate for drugs of abuse. Nonetheless, androgen reinforcement is not comparable to that of cocaine or heroin. Instead, testosterone resembles other mild reinforcers, such as caffeine, nicotine, or benzodiazepines. The potential for androgen addiction remains to be determined.

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Authors
Wood, R. I.
Affiliations
University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Wood, Ruth I.
ORCID
Wood, Ruth I.
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2004-11
Volume
83
Issue
2
Pages
279-289
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.08.012
OpenAlex
W1996777105
Cited by
121
References
109
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 8
FWCI
0.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA-12843, R01DA012843)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Doping in Sports
Keywords
anabolic steroids, testosterone, drug addiction, self-administration, conditioned place preference, mesolimbic dopamine system, nucleus accumbens, intracerebroventricular administration, steroid abuse
MeSH terms
Administration, Oral, Androgens, Animals, Conditioning, Operant, Dopamine, Female, Cricetinae, Humans, Injections, Intraventricular, Male, Preoptic Area, Reinforcement, Psychology, Self Administration, Sex Characteristics, Sex Factors, Substance-Related Disorders, Anabolic Agents, Rats

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