Sex differences in dehydroepiandrosterone metabolism in the rat: different plasma levels following ingestion of DHEA-supplemented diet and different metabolite patterns in plasma, bile and urine.

Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate levels were determined by an enzyme immunoassay in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats fed a diet containing 0.6% or 0.3% DHEA. A significant difference in DHEA plasma levels was observed in male and female animals. In male rats, total DHEA plasma concentrations were found in the range of 0.4-1.5 microgram/ml (0.6% DHEA chow) and 0.3-0.5 microgram/ml (0.3% DHEA chow). In female animals several times higher DHEA plasma levels were determined: 17.5-33 micrograms/ml (0.6% DHEA chow) and 8.3-14.8 micrograms/ml (0.3% DHEA chow). DHEA was present in rat plasma of both sexes preferably as the sulfate conjugate. Significant sex differences were also found in the DHEA metabolite patterns obtained by TLC separation of extracts from plasma, bile and urine following administration of 3H-DHEA. In female rats, DHEA is present predominantly as the sulfate conjugate in considerable amounts in all materials investigated, whereas in male rats polar metabolites dominate in the patterns.