Ravaglia G, Forti P, Maioli F, Boschi F, Bernardi M, Pratelli L, Pizzoferrato A, Gasbarrini G
Institute of Medical Pathology I, St. Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Mar;81(3):1173-8. doi: 10.1210/jcem.81.3.8772596.
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), the major circulating adrenal hormone, has been suggested to have a role in many aging related diseases and perhaps in aging itself. Its precise biologic effects are still unknown, and data on healthy people over 90 yr of age are not available. We measured serum DHEAS levels in 75 healthy subjects aged 90-106 yr of both sexes and searched for correlations between DHEAS and several endocrine-metabolic parameters (serum thyroid hormones, GH-insulin-like-growth factor I (GH-IGF-I) axis, serum lipid profile, anthropometric indices of body composition) of the same subjects. The resulting data, normalized by logarithmic transformation (geometric mean at age 90-99, 551 ng/mL in men, 364 ng/mL in women; at age > 100 yr, 404 ng/mL in men, 521 ng/mL in women) resulted five-fold lower than DHEAS levels measured in a young control group (geometric mean at < 40 yr of age, 3110 ng/mL in men, 2824 ng/mL in women). In women over ninety yr, DHEAS was positively correlated with serum free triodothyronine (FT3) levels (r = 0.34, P = 0.05) and inversely with triglycerides (r = -0.45, P = 0.05). In men over 90 yr, DHEAS had positive correlations with body mass index (r = 0.41, P < 0.03) and waist-to-hip ratio (r = 0.47, P < 0.01) taken as indices of body's energy reserves (fat). To determine whether low serum DHEAS levels predict poor functional status in the very old, the Activity Daily Living (ADL) test was administered in all over-ninety subjects. Men with the highest functioning levels had the highest DHEAS levels (P < 0.03). Our data suggest that DHEAS levels may influence and/or be influenced by several endocrine and metabolic features of oldest-old people, depending on the sexual steroid milieu. DHEAS seems also to have a strong interrelation with functional activities. A favorable role for DHEAS in successful aging is proposed.
硫酸脱氢表雄酮（DHEAS）是循环中的主要肾上腺激素，有人认为它在许多与衰老相关的疾病中起作用，甚至可能与衰老本身有关。其确切的生物学效应仍不清楚，目前还没有关于90岁以上健康人群的数据。我们测量了75名年龄在90至106岁之间的健康受试者（男女均有）的血清DHEAS水平，并寻找DHEAS与这些受试者的几种内分泌代谢参数（血清甲状腺激素、生长激素-胰岛素样生长因子I（GH-IGF-I）轴、血清脂质谱、身体成分的人体测量指标）之间的相关性。通过对数转换进行标准化处理后的数据（90至99岁时的几何平均值，男性为551 ng/mL，女性为364 ng/mL；年龄大于100岁时，男性为404 ng/mL，女性为521 ng/mL）比在年轻对照组中测得的DHEAS水平低五倍（年龄小于40岁时的几何平均值，男性为3110 ng/mL，女性为2824 ng/mL）。在90岁以上的女性中，DHEAS与血清游离三碘甲状腺原氨酸（FT3）水平呈正相关（r = 0.34，P = 0.05），与甘油三酯呈负相关（r = -0.45，P = 0.05）。在90岁以上的男性中，DHEAS与作为身体能量储备（脂肪）指标的体重指数（r = 0.41，P < 0.03）和腰臀比（r = 0.47，P < 0.01）呈正相关。为了确定低血清DHEAS水平是否能预测高龄老人的功能状态不佳，我们对所有90岁以上的受试者进行了日常生活活动（ADL）测试。功能水平最高的男性DHEAS水平也最高（P < 0.03）。我们的数据表明，DHEAS水平可能会影响高龄老人的几种内分泌和代谢特征，或者受到这些特征的影响，这取决于性类固醇环境。DHEAS似乎也与功能活动有很强的相互关系。我们提出DHEAS在成功衰老中发挥着有利作用。
