Dehydroepiandrosterone induced alterations in rat liver carbohydrate metabolism.

Long-term dietary administration of the adrenal hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to male Sprague-Dawley rats induced significant alterations in the activities of enzymes involved in liver carbohydrate metabolism. Although glycogen synthase activity was increased and phosphorylase decreased, glycogen stores were reduced. This was presumably related to lysosomal glycogen degradation, since alpha-glucosidase was increased. All rate-limiting enzymes of glucose metabolism which were studied (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, total hexokinases, pyruvate kinase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase) revealed markedly reduced activity, only glucose-6-phosphatase activity was increased. These enzymatic changes point to a far-reaching metabolic shift towards energy loss via decreased glucose consumption and increased glucose output. The enzyme pattern induced by DHEA is in many respects opposite to that induced in preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions by chemical hepatocarcinogens.