Effects of acute administration of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate on adipose tissue mass and cellularity in male rats

Objective: To determine if short term (2 week) treatment of growing male rats with low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) can reduce adiposity and serum triglycerides. Design: Rats were administered either normal drinking water or drinking water supplemented with 10 (D10) or 100 (D100) μg/ml DHEAS for 14 d. Subjects: Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats (initial body weight 280 g). Measurements: Adipocyte mass, size and number from three major fat depots (retroperitoneal, epididymal, inguinal); serum levels of triglycerides, insulin, IGF-1 and DHEAS; brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass, uncoupling protein content and enzyme activity; body weight gain, food and water consumption; carcass composition. Results: DHEAS treatment had no effect on weight gain, food consumption or water intake. In contrast, rats treated with both levels of DHEAS had lighter fat pads, fewer epididymal and retroperitoneal adipocytes, less carcass lipid, lower levels of serum triglycerides and greater BAT mass and UCP content than control rats. Moreover, rats administered 100 μg/ml DHEAS had smaller and fewer epididymal adipocytes and fewer inguinal adipocytes than the D10 and the control rats. Conclusion: Acute treatment of growing male rats with low levels (10 μg/ml drinking water or 0.7 mg/kg body wt/d) of DHEAS reduces carcass lipid, adipose tissue mass and cellularity as well as serum triglycerides without altering food intake and body weight gain or causing hepatomegaly.