AIM Several clinical trials have indicated that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reduces coronary events associated with atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to examine the inhibitory effect of DHEA on atherosclerosis and the mechanisms involved. METHODS Apolipoprotein E-knockout (apoE-KO) mice were fed an atherogenic high-cholesterol diet with or without 0.4% (w/w) DHEA for 12 weeks. RE...

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to assess possible antidepressant effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an abundant adrenocortical hormone in humans. METHOD Twenty-two patients with major depression, either medication-free or on stabilized antidepressant regimens, received either DHEA (maximum dose = 90 mg/day) or placebo for 6 weeks in a double-blind manner and were rated at baseline a...

The present investigation was designed to provide the first empirical examination of the effects of acute dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) administration on subjective and physiological sexual arousal in women. The primary purpose was to assess whether DHEA influences vaginal blood flow response in sexually functional women. Subjective (self-report) and physiological (vaginal photoplethysmograph) ...

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated ester are found in high concentrations in the plasma; however, their role in normal human physiology, other than as precursors for sex hormones, remains incompletely defined. Studies of rodent models have shown that these hormones have beneficial effects on a wide variety of conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, immune function, atherosclerosis, a...

After testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is themainhormone involved inaggressivebehaviour in birds. While the role of DHEA has been verified for wintering territorial passerines, it has not been shown for gregarious species. In wintering geese species, both sexes present very low testosterone levels and aggression in a non-sexual context is not testosterone-related. Therefore, testoste...

CONTEXT Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) administration has been shown to reduce accumulation of abdominal visceral fat and protect against insulin resistance in laboratory animals, but it is not known whether DHEA decreases abdominal obesity in humans. DHEA is widely available as a dietary supplement without a prescription. OBJECTIVE To determine whether DHEA replacement therapy decreases abdom...

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an intermediate in the biosynthesis of testosterone and estrogens, exerts several physiological effects not involving the sex hormones. When fed to rats it induces the thermogenic enzymes mitochondrial sn-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and cytosolic malic enzyme in their livers. Animals and humans, and their excised tissues, are known to hydroxylate DHEA at se...

This study examines day-to-day patterns of salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) under baseline conditions and in response to mild stress among 59 children residing in a rural Caribbean village. Cortisol secretion showed the typical circadian variation with high levels in the morning. Children showed significant increases of cortisol before and during a videotaped interview when c...

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) are hormones produced by the adrenal cortex that decline in concentration with age. Decreased DHEA levels are associated with age-related disease and oxidative stress but might be increased in younger adults by exercise. Studies are presented assessing the response of DHEA and DHEAS to varied-intensity exercise in older age. DHEA increased s...