Effects of acute administration of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate on adipose tissue mass and cellularity in male rats.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if short term (2 week) treatment of growing male rats with low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) can reduce adiposity and serum triglycerides.


METHODS
Rats were administered either normal drinking water or drinking water supplemented with 10 (D10) or 100 (D100) micrograms/ml DHEAS for 14 d.


METHODS
Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats (initial body weight 280 g).


METHODS
Adipocyte mass, size and number from three major fat depots (retroperitoneal, epididymal, inguinal); serum levels of triglycerides, insulin, IGF-1 and DHEAS; brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass, uncoupling protein content and enzyme activity; body weight gain, food and water consumption; carcass composition.


RESULTS
DHEAS treatment had no effect on weight gain, food consumption or water intake. In contrast, rats treated with both levels of DHEAS had lighter fat pads, fewer epididymal and retroperitoneal adipocytes, less carcass lipid, lower levels of serum triglycerides and greater BAT mass and UCP content than control rats. Moreover, rats administered 100 micrograms/ml DHEAS had smaller and fewer epididymal adipocytes and fewer inguinal adipocytes than the D10 and the control rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute treatment of growing male rats with low levels (10 micrograms/ml drinking water or 0.7 mg/kg body wt/d) of DHEAS reduces carcass lipid, adipose tissue mass and cellularity as well as serum triglycerides without altering food intake and body weight gain or causing hepatomegaly.
Lea-Currie
Y R
YR
Department of Food, Nutrition, and Food Service Management, School of Human Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 27412, USA.
Wu
S M
SM
McIntosh
M K
MK
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone