Pleotropic effects of dietary DHEA.

We present data pertaining to some of the in vivo effects associated with dietary DHEA administration to mice and rats. Dietary DHEA leads to: (1) decrease in body weight gain; (2) relative increases in liver weight; (3) liver color change; (4) induction of hepatic peroxisomal enzymes; (5) proliferation of hepatic peroxisomes with increased cross-sectional area; (6) decreased hepatic mitochondrial cross-sectional area; (7) elevated levels of hepatic cytosolic malic enzyme; (8) slight decreases, significant decreases, or significant increases in serum triglyceride levels, depending on mouse strain; (9) increases in total serum cholesterol levels; (10) significant decreases in the hepatic rates of fatty acid synthesis; (11) significant increases in the hepatic rates of cholesterol synthesis; (12) decreases in both protein content and specific activity of hepatic mitochondrial carbamoyl phosphate synthetase-I without concomitant changes in serum urea nitrogen; (13) induction of glutathione S-transferase activity in liver; (14) decrease in hepatic endogenous protein phosphorylation; (15) increase in hepatic AMPase and GTPase activities; (16) formation of 5-androstene-3 beta,17 beta-diol as a major metabolite of DHEA by subcellular fractions of liver, which is reflected in serum and tissue levels; and (17) reduction in serum prolactin levels.