title: Further studies on the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on hepatic metabolism in BHE rats.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on de novo fatty acid synthesis and oxygen consumption in BHE rats fed a 65% glucose diet. In Experiment 1, starved glucose-refed rats were injected ip with 120 mg of DHEA/kg body wt and hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis was measured. DHEA-treated rats synthesized less fatty acid in response to starvation refeeding than nontreated rats. In Experiment 2, weanling rats were fed the glucose diet for 4 weeks. One-hundred twenty milligrams of DHEA/kg were injected daily for 3 weeks. Body weight gain, epididymal fat pad weight, and carcass lipid were less in the DHEA-treated rats than in the control rats. Mitochondrial respiration was less and liver size was greater in DHEA-treated rats compared with control rats. Whole body oxygen consumption was increased in DHEA-treated rats, suggesting that this steroid might be stimulating futile energy cycles involving lipid and protein turnover possibly through its effect on glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Berdanier
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: McIntosh
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005502:Food; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone