Effects of the Dietary Supplement 5α-Hydroxy-Laxogenin in the Orchiectomized Rat Model

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Dietary supplements used by recreational and elite athletes for performance enhancement might contain undeclared, unlawfully added ingredients. One of those ingredients is 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin, which is sold in dietary supplements marketed as a natural compound with anabolic effects. It has been shown that 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin is not naturally occurring, but rather of synthetic origin. Previously, we observed that 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin can bind to and activate the androgen receptor in a cell-based bioassay. To investigate its androgenic potential in vivo, we treated orchiectomized rats with three different dosages of 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin for 2 weeks. Effects were neither observed on the wet weights of the androgen target tissues prostate, seminal vesicle or penis nor on the wet weights of the anabolic target tissue musculus levator ani or on skeletal hindlimb muscles. Au contraire, significantly higher atrophy was seen for some of the target tissues in the animals treated with the highest 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin dosage (36 mg/kg bw). While in silico docking supports the androgen receptor binding previously observed in vitro, we observed neither androgenic nor anabolic effects of 5α-hydroxy-laxogenin in vivo in castrated male rats.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1743 - 1749
Number of pages7
JournalDrug testing and analysis
Volume17
Issue number9
Early online date4 Mar 2025
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2157-4711/work/179849681
Scopus 85219564617

Keywords