Objectives: Effects of treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on oxidative energy metabolism in rat liver and brain mitochondria were examined.
Design and methods: Young adult rats were administered DHEA (0.1, 0.2, 1.0 or 2.0 mg/kg body weight) by subcutaneous route for 7 consecutive days.
Results: DHEA treatment resulted in general, in stimulation of state 3 respiration rates without having any uncoupling effect on ADP/O ratios. The stimulation of state 3 respiration rate for a given substrate was dose dependent in a tissue-specific manner. Parallel increases in the contents of cytochromes aa(3) and b were also noted. DHEA treatment stimulated the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and succinate DCIP reductase (SDR) activities. Under the treatment conditions, mitochondrial ATPase activity was also stimulated.
Conclusions: Treatment with DHEA significantly stimulated oxidative energy metabolism in liver and brain mitochondria.