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F Perez De Heredia, Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
E Larque, Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
S Zamora, Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
M Garaulet, Dept of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Correspondence: Fatima Perez De Heredia, Email: F.Perez-De-Herdia{at}liverpool.ac.uk

Abstract

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is reported to exert beneficial effects, like protecting from cardiovascular risk or lowering serum insulin levels. Adipose tissue (AT) is a target for DHEA actions, and the hormone can also affect hepatic fatty acid metabolism. Fatty acids (FA) are involved in the development of insulin resistance; thus, there might be a relationship between DHEA, FA and insulin. However, few data are available regarding DHEA and FA composition, especially concerning AT.

Seventeen-month old female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=11; controls: n=10) were treated with DHEA (0.5 % w/w in the diet) for 13 weeks, after which serum, periovarian, mesenteric, subcutaneous and brown AT were analyzed for FA composition. DHEA treatment resulted in significant changes in FA profiles in serum and adipose depots, like reduced 16:1n-7 (subcutaneous and brown AT; P<0.01), elevated n-9 MUFA (serum and subcutaneous AT; P<0.05), diminished n-6 PUFA (general; P<0.05) and increased n-3 PUFA (brown AT; P<0.01), along with lower n-6/n-3 ratios (subcutaneous and brown AT; P<0.05, P<0.01 respectively). DHEA modified estimates of desaturase activities, decreasing stearoyl-CoA-desaturase markers in subcutaneous and brown AT (P<0.05) and increasing those of delta-6-desaturase in serum and AT (P<0.05). In addition, DHEA-treated rats showed lower serum insulin levels (P<0.05).

We have demonstrated for the first time that DHEA induces significant modifications in adipose tissue fatty acid composition in vivo, mainly concerning unsaturated fatty acids, and changes occurred in a tissue-dependent manner. We propose that these changes may be related to the capacity of DHEA to lower serum insulin levels.