Central effects of the anabolic steroid 17α methyltestosterone in female anxiety

The androgen 17α-methyltestosterone (17α-meT) is one of the most commonly abused anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). We assessed the impact of 17α-meT after bilateral infusion into the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) in female anxiety. A paradoxical effect in Vogel conflict test (VCT) behavior was noted: while AAS infusion induced an increase in the latency to display the appetitive reaction of the task, it also increased the number of punished responses. No changes in elevated plus maze (EPM) behavior were noted. However, AAS infusion induced an increase in social interactions. Changes in social interactions were mimicked by muscimol infusion and counteracted by co-infusion of AAS plus the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) antagonist GABAzine. A reduction of systolic blood pressure was registered after AAS infusion in the DMH. No changes in fluid intake or locomotor behaviors were noted. We conclude that the AAS 17α-meT modulates distinct anxiety domains in females through a fast-acting mechanism.