salimetrics/DHEA/dhea/50 μL

​Dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA;androstenolone;3ß-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-one)isasteroidhormoneproducedprincipallyintheadrenalcortex.  Inmen,itisestimatedthat10-25%ofthecirculatingDHEAissecretedbythetestes.(1) DHEAanditssulfatedanalogDHEA-Sserveprimarilyasprecursorsthatcirculatetoperipheraltissues,wheretheyareconvertedtoandrogensandestrogens.(1,2) Thisallowsandrogensandestrogenstobedeliveredtotheappropriatetissueswithoutleakageofsignificantamountsintothecirculation.(3,4,5)  Inadditiontoservingasaprecursorforothersteroidhormones,DHEAisalsobelievedtohavesomephysiologicalpropertiesofitsown.Itisknowntohaveanti-glucocorticoid,anti-oxidant,anti-inflammatory,andimmunomodulatoryeffects.(1,5) Themechanismsoftheseeffectsarenotwellunderstoodandcurrentlyunderinvestigation.(5,6,7) CirculatinglevelsofDHEApeakaroundtheageof20to30,thendeclinetoonly20-30%ofpeaklevelbytheageof70to80;ithasbeenexploredasaMarkerofagingandforpossIBLeanti-agingtherapeuticuses.

Lowlevelshavebeenassociatedwitharangeofdiseases.(1,5) DHEAisalsoproducedinthebrain,whereisservesasaprotectiveneurosteroid.(8,9)

Likecortisol,DHEAsynthesisintheadrenalglandisaffectedbyHPAaxisactivityandthereleaseofACTH,andDHEAlevelsincreaseinresponsetostress.(10) Differencesinthesecretionofthetwohormonescanexist,however,andchangesintheratioofcortisoltoDHEAhavebeenobservedinconnectionwithvariousdisorders,includingdepression,psychiatricconditions, andHIVinfection.(11,12,13,14) DHEAexhibitsadiurnalrhythmsynchronizedwithcortisol,withhighestvaluesinthemorningandanADIrinthelateevening.(15)

InbloodDHEAisonlyweaklyboundtoalbuminorsexhormonebindingglobulin(SHBG).(16,17) UnboundDHEAenterssalivafrombloodviaintracellularmechanisms,andtheserum-salivacorrelationishigh.(18,19)​

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