No Evidence for Hepatic Conversion of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate to DHEA: In Vivo and in Vitro Studies

Author:

Hammer Fabian1,Subtil Sandra1,Lux Philipp1,Maser-Gluth Christiane2,Stewart Paul M.3,Allolio Bruno1,Arlt Wiebke3

Affiliation:

1. Department of Medicine (F.H., S.S., P.L., B.A.), Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany;

2. Department of Pharmacology (C.M.-G.), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;

3. Division of Medical Sciences (P.M.S., W.A.), Institute of Biomedical Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom

Abstract

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate (DHEAS) is the most abundant steroid in the human circulation and is thought to be the circulating hydrophilic storage form of DHEA. It is generally accepted that DHEA and DHEAS interconvert freely and continuously via hydroxysteroid sulfotransferases and steroid sulfatase and that only desulfated DHEA can be converted downstream to sex steroids. Here we analyzed DHEA/DHEAS interconversion in vivo and in vitro. We administered oral DHEA (100 mg) and iv DHEAS (25 mg) to eight healthy young men, resulting in similar increases in serum DHEAS compared with baseline. However, although DHEA administration significantly increased serum DHEA (P < 0.05), no such increase was observed after DHEAS. Similarly, DHEA but not DHEAS was converted downstream to androstenedione, estrone, and androstanediol glucuronide. The striking absence of conversion of DHEAS to DHEA was mirrored by our in vitro findings in HepG2 cells, revealing dose-dependant conversion of DHEA (0.1–2 μm) to DHEAS but no conversion of DHEAS (0.1–2 μm). These results clearly illustrate a lack of hepatic conversion of DHEAS to DHEA, challenging the concept of free interconversion of DHEA and DHEAS. DHEAS does not seem to represent a circulating storage pool for DHEA regeneration, and therefore serum DHEAS is unlikely to reflect bioavailable DHEA.

Publisher

The Endocrine Society

Subject

Biochemistry, medical,Clinical Biochemistry,Endocrinology,Biochemistry,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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