[Functions and mechanisms of dehydroepiandrosterone in nervous system].
Dehydroepiandrosterone is the precursor of sex hormone, and can be synthesized in the brain de novo, which means it is a kind of neurosteroid. Animal experiments and clinical researches have proved that DHEA exhibits a variety of functional activities in the nervous system, including neurotrophic, neuroprotective effects and enhancement' of learning and memory, which suggests that it may be useful in preventing and treating some neural diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cerebral ischemia, trauma, psychosis and so on. The mechanisms of the effect of DHEA on protection against oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, apoptosis etc. were found to be through both genomic and nongenomic way. These effects and mechanisms in nervous system were summarized in the present paper.
Xie
Li
L
The Institute of Materia Medica, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210093, China.
Sun
Hui-Ying
HY
Gao
Jing
J
Liao
Hong
H
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate