Age‐related effects of DHEA on peripheral markers of oxidative stress

Abstract

Ageing is an inevitable biological process characterized by a general decline in various physiological functions. DHEA and DHEAS levels are maximal between the second and third life decades, then start to decline 2% per year, leaving a residual of 10-20% of the peak production by the eighth decade. Erythrocytes are exposed to frequent oxidative stress due to the oxygen radicals continuously generated by haemoglobin auto-oxidation. We investigated DHEA chronic (10 mg/kg, subcutaneously, for 5 weeks) effects over oxidative stress markers in erythrocytes of male Wistar rats of 3, 13 and 18 month-old. In the 13 month-old group, we found increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase and catalase activities when compared to the other age groups. DHEA produced a marked increase in LPO of 13 month-old group when compared to its control. DHEA exerted this pro-oxidant effects in all ages studied, especially in age 13 month-old. It seems that at 13 month-old there would be an important depletion of some specific anti-oxidant in order to determine such susceptibility to DHEA effects. Since this approach allows a minimally invasive assessment, it would be useful as a routine method in human clinical studies investigating DHEA effects during the ageing process.

Impact of Trace Element Changes on Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate in Healthy and Diabetic States among Middle-Age and Elderly Egyptians

“…Our results are consistent with Chen et al [18] who reported low levels of copper in serum and erythrocytes in diabetics in comparison to healthy subjects, but most of the studies on copper assays in diabetics have reported normal or increased copper levels [15,17,19]; however, this mol/dL [20]. Studies with an increase in the copper ion levels in patients with NIDDM might be attributed to hyperglycemia that may stimulate glycation and release of copper ions from copper-containing enzymes [11]; further studies are needed to verify this notion.…”

“…Thus, people who associate higher serum concentrations of DHEA with health probably should eat a diet adequate in copper [7] An advanced stage of diabetes is linked with an increase in oxidative substances [10]. DHEA has been considered as an antioxidant [11].…”

Aging might augment reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and affect reactive nitrogen species (RNS) level after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in both humans and rats

“…Our study indicates that aging aggravates I/R injury. Additionally, aging increased myocardial apoptosis and depressed post-ischemic cardiac functional recovery (Jacob et al 2010a;Shih et al 2011). Meanwhile, aging also increased in vivo ROS.…”

“…·O 2 − further dismutates to H 2 O 2 and ·OH, the latter being highly toxic to biological tissues, causative of significant myocardial necrosis and apoptosis. Several recent studies report that aging increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Adler et al 2003;Jacob et al 2010a;Jacob et al 2010b;Judge et al 2005). Leeuwenburgh and colleagues demonstrate increased mitochondrial ROS formation with aging (Judge et al 2005).…”

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone treatment on hormone levels and antioxidant parameters in aged rats

“…It had reported that heart function atrophy is consistent evidence of aging (Jacob et al, 2010;Fan et al, 2011;Shih et al, 2011). HO-1 is an enzyme that catalyzes heme degradation, resulting in the production of biliverdin, iron, and carbon monoxide (Kikuchi et al, 2005).…”