Oral dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation modulates spontaneous and growth hormone-releasing hormone-induced growth hormone and insulin-like growthfactor-1 secretion in early and late postmenopausal women

Objective: To evaluate the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplem entation on the growth hormone-releasing hormone-growth hormone (GHRH-GH) a xis in lean and obese postmenopausal women. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Postmenopausal women in a clinical research environment. Patient(s): Thirty-one postmenopausal women were divided in two groups by a ge (50 to 55 and 60 to 65 years). Within each group, lean and obese patient s were considered. Intervention(s): All patients underwent hormonal evaluations before and at the third and sixth month of therapy (50 mg of DHEA orally each day) and a GHRH test (I mug/kg) before and at the sixth month of treatment. Ultrasound and bone mass density (BMD) examinations were performed before and after t he sixth month of therapy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepian drosterone sulfate (DHEAS), E-1, E-2, androstenedione (A), testosterone (T) , osteocalcin, GH, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations. Result(s): The levels of all of the steroids that derived from DHEA metabol ism (E-1, E-2, A, T, DHEAS) and osteocalcin were increased in plasma under DHEA supplementation. The supplementation protocol also increased the level s of GH and IGF-1. However, GHRH-induced GH and IGF-1 responses were not mo dified by DHEA supplementation. Conclusion(s): Administration of DHEA significantly affects several endocri ne parameters in early and late postmenopausal women independently from bod y mass index. Our data support the hypothesis that DHEA treatment acts simi larly to estrogen-progestin replacement therapy on the GHRH-GH-IGF-I axis. This suggests that DHEA is more than a more than a simple "diet supplement" or "antiaging product"; rather it should be considered an effective hormon al replacement treatment. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reproductive Med icine.