Comparative studies of effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on rat and chicken liver.

1. An attempt to identify the cause of decrease of gain in body weight during dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment was made comparing the effects of hormone treatment on chickens and rats. 2. Chickens treated with DHEA for 7-10 days do not change their weight gain with respect to controls although their mitochondrial respiration and peroxisomal catalase (index of peroxisomal mass) were increased. 3. Liver cytosolic malic enzyme and sn-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were depressed in chickens treated with DHEA in comparison with activities in untreated controls. DHEA treatment did not increase the activity of mitochondrial sn-glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. 4. In contrast to rat liver cytosolic sn-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase this enzyme in chicken liver was inactive with NADPH.