title: Neuroendocrine effect of a short-term treatment with DHEA in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A progressive decline of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels occurs in women during aging related to the reduction of adrenocortical secretion. A specific action of DHEA on the central nervous system (CNS) is suggested by the improvement of psychological and physical well-being in postmenopausal women after DHEA supplementation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroendocrine effects of short-term DHEA supplementation in postmenopausal women, evaluating changes of plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and growth hormone (GH) before and after oral DHEA (100 mg/day) for 7 days in postmenopausal women (n = 6).
  
  
  METHODS
  Before and after 7 days of DHEA supplementation, postmenopausal women underwent a neuroendocrine test with clonidine, an alpha 2 presinaptic agonist for adrenergic system (1.25 mg i.v.). Basal plasma DHEA, androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) levels were evaluated before and after treatment, while plasma beta-EP and GH levels were measured before and 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min after clonidine injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basal plasma beta-EP and GH levels did not show a significant difference before and after short-term DHEA administration, while circulating A, T, E1 and E2 significantly increased after treatment. The clonidine test induced a significant increase of plasma beta-EP levels in women after receiving DHEA supplementation but not before; conversely, plasma GM levels increased both before and after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study indicates that short-term DHEA supplementation in postmenopausal women is able to restore the impaired response of pituitary beta-EP to clonidine, an alpha 2 presinaptic agonist. According to these data it is possible to hypothesize that DHEA could play a role in the psychological and physical well-being of postmenopausal women acting via a restoration of neuroendocrine control of antero-pituitary beta-EP secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stomati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bersi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casarosa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luisi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petraglia
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Genazzani
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D003000:Clonidine; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D013565:Sympatholytics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013565:Sympatholytics; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D003000:Clonidine