Abstract
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a newly identified peroxisome proliferator that causes hepatomegaly, peroxisome proliferation, and induction of peroxisome-associated enzymes in rats and mice, and hepatocellular carcinomas in rats. In the present study, we have systematically analyzed sex differences and the effect of castration on DHEA-induced peroxisome proliferation in male and female rats, since no Information is available on this subject. DHEA was fed in diet at a concentration of 0.45% for 2 weeks and livers were analyzed for hepatomegaly, peroxisome volume density, peroxisome proliferator associated Mr 80,000 polypeptide (PPA-80), and enoyl-CoA hydratase/3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (PBE) mRNA. Both intact and castrated rats showed similar response to DHEA characterized by increased peroxisome volume density, PBE mRNA, and PPA-80. Significant difference was observed in the liver weights between castrated and intact animals in both the sexes. Castrated rats that received DHEA had 20%–30% more liver weight than DHEA-administered intact rats. These results clearly indicate that peroxisome proliferative effect of DHEA is not influenced by sex hormones and it is equally potent in both males and females.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.