[Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on serum steroid hormones and endocrine organs in adrenalectomized immature female rats (author's transl)].

SD female rats were bilaterally adrenalectomized or sham-operated at the age of 20 days and were given dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS; 50 or 100 mg/kg body wt. p.o.) for 7 days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration the animals were sacrificed and levels of serum estrone, estradiol, estriol, testosterone (T), progesterone(P), aldosterone, 11-OH-corticosteroid (11-OH-CS), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) and DHAS were determined. Uterus, ovary, pituitary gland, thyroid, thymus, liver and kidney were weighed and examined histologically. Adrenalectomy significantly reduced serum levels of T, P, aldosterone, 11-OH-CS, DHA and DHAS organ weights of liver and kidney, and increased the weight of the thymus. In sham-operated rats, DHAS increased weight of the uterus and serum DHAS level while the other hormones and organs were not affected. In the adrenalectomized rats, DHAS increased the serum levels of DHAS and T, weight of the uterus and inhibited increase in the weight of the thymus. These findings suggest that DHAS-induced increases in the weight of uterus are not affected by endogenous hormones secreted from the adrenal gland.