Dehydroepiandrosterone reduces plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and tissue plasminogen activator antigen in men.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may help prevent heart disease in men. To test the hypothesis that DHEA might exert its effects by enhancing endogenous fibrinolytic potential, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted that assessed the effects of DHEA administration on plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen. Eighteen men received 50 mg DHEA orally and 16 men received a placebo capsule thrice daily for 12 days. Serum DHEA-sulfate and plasma PAI-1 and tPA antigen were measured before and after treatment. In the DHEA group, serum DHEA-sulfate (from 7.5 +/- 1.2 micromol/L to 20.2 +/- 1.5 micromol/L (P < 0.0001), androstenedione (from 2.6 +/- 0.2 nmol/L to 4.0 +/- 0.4 nmol/L; P < 0.005) and estrone (from 172 +/- 21 pmol/L to 352 +/- 28 pmol/L; P < 0.005) increased, whereas plasma PAI-1 (from 55.4 +/- 3.8 ng/mL to 38.6 +/- 3.3 ng/mL; P < 0.0001) and tPA antigen (from 8.1 +/- 1.9 ng/mL to 5.4 +/- 1.3 ng/mL; P < 0.0005) decreased. In the placebo group, serum DHEA-sulfate declined slightly from 8.0 +/- 3.3 micromol/L to 7.3 +/- 3.4 micromol/L (P < 0.05), but no other measured steroid changed. Plasma PAI-1 and tPA antigen did not change in the placebo group. These findings suggest that DHEA administration reduces plasma PAI-1 and tPA antigen concentrations in men.
Beer
N A
NA
Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Fundación Cardiovascular Congreso National, Venezuela.
Jakubowicz
D J
DJ
Matt
D W
DW
Beer
R M
RM
Nestler
J E
JE
D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000097:blood*
D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator