Dehydroepiandrosterone: antiglucocorticoid action in mice

The acute effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its conjugate, DHEA-sulfate (DHEA-S) on glucocorticoid action was tested in vivo using male Swiss-Webster mice. The authors found that DHEA and DHEA-S significantly inhibited induction of hepatic tyrosine aminotransferase activity, although the former was more potent. This inhibition was dose- and time-dependent and was not demonstrable with other steroids. The same inhibitory effect of DHEA was seen with kidney tyrosine aminotransferase induction, as well as with liver and kidney ornithine decarboxylase enzyme activity, another glucocorticoid-induced enzyme. The conclusion is that DHEA acts acutely as an antiglucocorticoid and exerts its effect in different glucocorticoid-sensitive systems.