title: Antioxidant effects of dehydroepiandrosterone and 7alpha-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone in the rat colon, intestine and liver.
abstract: This study examined in healthy male Wistar rats the in vivo antioxidant effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA administered by intraperitoneal injections (50 mg/kg body weight) for 2 or 7 days. Markers of oxidative damage to lipids (thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances, TBARS) and to proteins (protein carbonyls) were assessed in colon, small intestine, and liver homogenates. DHEA and 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA caused a decrease in body weight. DHEA treatment significantly increased liver, colon, and small intestine cell weights. After 7 days, DHEA exerted an antioxidant effect in all organs studied. In the colon, oxidative damage protection was accompanied by a goblet cell proliferation and increase in acidic mucus production. After 2 days, the antioxidant effect of 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA was mainly observed in the liver. Nonprotein sulfhydryl groups (mostly glutathione levels) were altered by DHEA in the liver whereas they remained unchanged after 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA treatment. The results indicate that in healthy animals, DHEA exerts a protective effect, particularly in the colon, by reducing the tissue susceptibility to oxidation of both lipids and proteins. This effect was not limited to a specific tissue, whereas the metabolite 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA exerted its antioxidant effect towards the two markers of oxidative damage earlier than DHEA, and mainly in the liver.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie, EA-3199, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, 2 rue Conté, 75003 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Agnès
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pelissier
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trap
authors.forename: Marie-Irène
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Malewiak
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morfin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011506:Proteins; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; C003587:7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone