Possible Interaction: Dehydroepiandrosterone and Dexamethasone

“Our experiments in vitro brought the evidence that 3beta, 7beta-dihydroxy-5-androsten-3-one (7beta-OH-DHEA), but not DHEA and its 7alpha-hydroxyisomer, could counteract the immunosuppressive effect of dexamethasone on the formation of plaques in culture of murine spleen lymphocytes.”

“Distinct dose-related reductions in plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were noted for HR under the treatment conditions, whereas both doses of DEX blocked ACTH, cortisol, and DHEA release in LR.”

“In basal conditions, dexamethasone significantly suppressed all the adrenal steroids and this suppression was greater after 3 and 6 months of treatment for DHEA , DHEAS and allopregnanolone, while it remained unchanged for other steroids.”

“We have observed that the conversion of 3T3-L1 and 3T3-F442A preadipocyte clones to the adipocyte phenotype, in response to appropriate differentiation stimuli (fetal calf serum, insulin, dexamethasone , and 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine), is blocked by DHEA and other steroidal inhibitors of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.”

“The levels of cortisol, DHEA and DHEA-S were all suppressed to narrow ranges after dexamethasone administration.”

“DHEA is a precursor of testosterone; the level of DHEA is lower in DM , while its metabolite, DHEAS, is lower in DM and DF.”

“After dex treatment, total testosterone (TT), unbound T (UT), androstenedione (A) and DHEAS , all decreased by 31-75%.”

“While dexamethasone caused a marked decrease of testosterone in only 2 patients, it led to a pronounced fall in DHEA values and a lesser but significant drop in androsterone concentrations in most patients.”

“It is concluded that: (i) in PCOS women only the concentration of circulating DHEAS decreased during glucose-induced hyperinsulinaemia and dexamethasone administration did not … their much greater ovarian secretion of these androgens; (iii) in control women DHEA concentrations acutely declined during the OGTT and the administration of dexamethasone … DHEA, ….”

“… dexamethasone, …, dehydroepiandrosterone , and 17-hydroxypregnenolone decreased in both groups (P < 0.001), but significant suppression of 17PO, T, and E1 occurred only in the normal girls, … of the increased levels of these steroids with enhanced expression of 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity in HA girls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)”