NEUROENDOCRINE EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM TREATMENT WITH DHEA IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Objectives: A progressive decline of plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DH EA) levels occurs in women during aging related to the reduction of ad renocortical secretion. A specific action of DHEA on the central nervo us system (CNS) is suggested by the improvement of psychological and p hysical well-being in postmenopausal women after DHEA supplementation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuroendocrine ef fects of short-term DHEA supplementation in postmenopausal women: eval uating changes of plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and growth hormone ( GH) before and after oral DHEA (100 mg/day) for 7 days in postmenopaus al women (n = 6). Methods: Before and after 7 days of DHEA supplementa tion, postmenopausal women underwent a neuroendocrine test with clonid ine, an alpha 2 presinaptic agonist for adrenergic system (1.25 mg i.v .). Basal plasma DHEA, androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), estrone (E-1) and estradiol (E-2) levels were evaluated before and after treat ment, while plasma beta-EP and GH levels were measured before and 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min after clonidine injection. Results: Basal plasma beta-EP and GH levels did not show a significant difference before an d after short-term DHEA administration, while circulating A, T, E-1 an d E-2 significantly increased after treatment. The clonidine test indu ced a significant increase of plasma beta-EP levels in women after rec eiving DHEA supplementation but not before; conversely, plasma GH leve ls increased both before and after treatment. Conclusions: The present study indicates that short-term DHEA supplementation in postmenopausa l women is able to restore the impaired response of pituitary beta-EP to clonidine, an alpha 2 presinaptic agonist. According to these data it is possible to hypothesize that DHEA could play a role in the psych ological and physical well-being of postmenopausal women acting via a restoration of neuroendocrine control of antero-pituitary beta-EP secr etion. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.