title: Sex-specific effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on glucose metabolism in the CNS.
abstract: DHEA is a neuroactive steroid, due to its modulatory actions on the central nervous system (CNS). DHEA is able to regulate neurogenesis, neurotransmitter receptors and neuronal excitability, function, survival and metabolism. The levels of DHEA decrease gradually with advancing age, and this decline has been associated with age related neuronal dysfunction and degeneration, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of endogenous DHEA. There are significant sex differences in the pathophysiology, epidemiology and clinical manifestations of many neurological diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether DHEA can alter glucose metabolism in different structures of the CNS from male and female rats, and if this effect is sex-specific. The results showed that DHEA decreased glucose uptake in some structures (cerebral cortex and olfactory bulb) in males, but did not affect glucose uptake in females. When compared, glucose uptake in males was higher than females. DHEA enhanced the glucose oxidation in both males (cerebral cortex, olfactory bulb, hippocampus and hypothalamus) and females (cerebral cortex and olfactory bulb), in a sex-dependent manner. In males, DHEA did not affect synthesis of glycogen, however, glycogen content was increased in the cerebral cortex and olfactory bulb. DHEA modulates glucose metabolism in a tissue-, dose- and sex-dependent manner to increase glucose oxidation, which could explain the previously described neuroprotective role of this hormone in some neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil. Electronic address: clauvmarques@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vieira-Marques
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Dutra
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Arbo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Gonçalves
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cozer
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hoefel
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cecconello
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Priscila
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanini
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Niches
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kucharski
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Interação Neuro-Humoral, Department of Physiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, 90050-170, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Flávia M
authors.initials: MFM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D065567:Absorption, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D000066829:Neuroprotection; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D006003:Glycogen; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Brain metabolism; DHEA; Glucose oxidation; Glucose uptake; Glycogen