Abstract
In 16 subjects (“Addisonian” adults and hypopituitary children before -or without- adrenarche) the plasma levels of DHEA (D) and its sulphate (DS) were measured after administration of DS per os, in a single dose of 30 mg/m2 body surface. DS levels rose from a mean of 0.09 μg/ml at time 0, to a peak of 2.39 μg/ml after 240 min.; a concomitant rise in the mean D concentration from 53 to 300 ng% was observed. After 6 hrs DS levels showed a slowly progressive decline, whereas for D a "plateau" forming was observed. From these data it appears that nearly 40 % of the DS administered reaches unmetabolized the general circulation whereas the rise of D is mainly due to in vivo hydrolysis of absorbed DS (conversion rate ± 0.15 %). After administration of a daily dose of 15 mg/m2 body surface to prepubertal hypopituitary girls (in order to realize a pharmacological adrenarche), plasma concentrations of 0.5 to 1.5 μg/ml DS were reached after one week. The very preliminary clinical data available however do not show a clearcut effect upon growth nor upon pubic hair development in these girls.
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