title: Dehydroepiandrosterone improves hepatic antioxidant reserve and stimulates Akt signaling in young and old rats.
abstract: This study examined, in the liver of young and old (3- and 24-month-old, respectively) healthy Wistar rats, the in vivo effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (10mg/kg body weight) administered subcutaneously for 5 weeks. Reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione levels, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities, hydrogen peroxide concentration, GST and p-Akt/Akt immunocontent ratio were assessed in hepatic tissue. DHEA treatment significantly increased total glutathione content (17%) and GSH (22%) in 3- and 24-month-old treated groups when compared to control groups. The aging factor increased G6PDH (51%) and GPx (22%) activities as well as the hydrogen peroxide concentration (33%), independently of treatment. DHEA treatment increased p-Akt (54%) and p-Akt/Akt ratio (36%) immunocontents in both treated groups. Increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in aged rats were reduced by DHEA treatment (34%).
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia Cardiovascular, ICBS - UFRGS, Av Sarmento Leite 500, CEP 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. mhvmjacob@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Maria Helena Vianna Metello
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Daiane da Rocha
authors.initials: Dda R
authors.lastname: Janner
authors.forename: Alex Sander da Rosa
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Matheus Parmegiani
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos Rios
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kucharski
authors.forename: Tarsila Barros
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Carlos Severo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Dutra Filho
authors.forename: Maria Flavia Marques
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Adriane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belló-Klein
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D005978:Glutathione