title: Bimodal correlation between the circulating insulin level and the production rate of dehydroepiandrosterone: positive correlation in controls and negative correlation in the polycystic ovary syndrome with acanthosis nigricans.
abstract: The objective of this study was to define the relationship among the circulating insulin level (IRI), the MCR of dehydroepiandrosterone (MCR-D), and the production rate of DHEA (PR-D) in 10 women with the polycystic ovary syndrome and acanthosis nigricans (PCOS-AN). Seven normal weight and 10 obese women served as controls. Measurement of the MCR-D and PR-D was accomplished by iv saline infusion (0.9% NaCl solution) on day 1 as a control and a 4-h iv dehydroepiandrosterone (unlabeled) infusion (1 mg/h) was performed on day 2. Mean MCR-D was more than 2-fold higher in the obese controls compared to the normal weight controls. However, the plasma concentration of DHEA(PC-D) was not significantly different in the normal and obese control women, since the PR-D was increased proportionately to the MCR-D. The MCR-D and the PR-D were coupled through insulin in the control women, and their correlation coefficients with IRI were positive and identical (0.77 and 0.73, respectively). In contrast, IRI was negatively correlated with PR-D in the PCOS-AN women. Also, unlike the control women, there was minimal or no change in the MCR-D across a broad range of IRI in the PCOS-AN women. Thus, the MCR-D and PR-D were not coupled in these women.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163.
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Farah
authors: J R
authors: JR
authors: Givens
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Kitabchi
mesh_terms: D000052:Acanthosis Nigricans / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate