Effects of
Transdermal Application of DHEA on the Levels of
Steroids, Gonadotropins and Lipids in Men
J. ŠULCOVÁ,
M. HILL, R. HAMPL, Z. MAŠEK, A. NOVÁČEK1,
R. ČEŠKA2, L. STÁRKA
Institute
of Endocrinology, 1AREKO,
Ltd., 2IIIrd Department of Medicine, First
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague,
Czech Republic
Received
March 2, 2000
Accepted April 16, 2000
Summary
In
order to ascertain the kinetics of absorption and
metabolism of transdermally administered
dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), 10 men 29-72 years
old (mean 52.4±14.5) received 50 mg DHEA/day in
a gel applied onto the skin of the abdomen for 5
consecutive days. The objective was to establish
the extent to which DHEA influences the levels of
gonadotropins, sex hormone-binding globulin and
lipids. It was found that DHEA is well absorbed
and rapidly metabolized to its sulfate (DHEAS),
androstenedione, and consequently to testosterone
and estradiol. The DHEA levels that markedly
increased after the first doses gradually
declined already during the application, and this
decline proceeded even after it was discontinued,
reaching levels significantly lower than the
original ones. On the other hand, the levels of
DHEA metabolites (with the exception of DHEAS)
rose during the application and reached values
significantly higher than the basal ones within 5
weeks. This effect was accompanied by
significantly decreased levels of LH. The serum
levels of lipids, namely of cholesterol (both HDL
and LDL cholesterol), triglycerides,
apolipoproteins A-I and B and lipoprotein(a)
after DHEA application were not changed
significantly, and the atherogenic index (AI)
remained unaltered. However, some correlations
between hormones and lipids were found. Negative
correlations concerned the following indices:
DHEA/Lp(a); DHEAS/cholesterol; DHEA, DHEAS,
testosterone/TG; testosterone/AI. On the other
hand, LH, FSH/cholesterol, FSH, SHBG/LDL
cholesterol, FSH/Apo B, Lp(a) correlated
positively. It can be concluded that transdermal
short-time application of DHEA results in a
decrease of endogenous DHEA after finishing the
treatment, with a parallel marked increase in the
levels of sex hormones. Using this application
protocol, exogenous DHEA neither altered the
lipid spectrum, nor did it influence the
atherogenic index.
Key words
DHEA
· Transdermal · Steroids · Gonadotropins ·
Lipids · SHBG
Reprint
requests
RNDr.
Jarmila Šulcová, CSc., Institute of
Endocrinology, Národní 8, 116 94 Prague, Czech
Republic. E-mail: jsulcova@endo.cz
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