Effect of DHEA treatment on DES induced endocrine changes in the rat

SUÁREZ CECILIA, GARCÍA TORNADÚ I, VELA J, CRISTINA C, BECÚ-VILLALOBOS D

Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Jornada; III Jornada Multidisciplinaria de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología; 2001

SAB

The aim of this study was to determine the role of DHEA on DES-induced pituitary hyperplasia. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four treatment groups: DES (implanted sc with a 20 mg DES pellet), DHEA (two 50 mg DHEA pellets), DHEA/DES (both DHEA and DES pellets), and controls (not implanted). Every week, all rats were weighed, cycled and jugular blood samples were obtained. After seven weeks, rats were sacrificed. DHEA treatment reduced pituitary hyperplasia (149.4+/-12.1 DHEA/DES vs 208.4+/-20.8 DES, related to body weight) and reversed the loss of body weight induced by DES but both DES and DHEA+DES rats had higher levels of serum leptin. DHEA and DES per se increased serum PRL and GH, decreased IGF-I and did not modify serum insulin. However, when administered together, DHEA reversed the increased PRL (280.4+43.6 ng/ml DHEA/DES vs 823.5+/-127.1 ng/ml DES) and GH plasma levels induced by DES. We conclude that DHEA administration has endocrine effects per se, and inhibitory effects over DES-induced physiological changes.