Oxygen free radical scavenger properties of dehydroepiandrosterone

✍ Scribed by Elena Tamagno; Manuela Aragno; Giuseppe Boccuzzi; Marco Gallo; Silvia Parola; Bice Fubini; Giuseppe Poli; Oliviero Danni

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 164 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0263-6484
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0844(199803)16:1<57::aid-cbf771>3.0.co;2-s

✦ Synopsis

The microsomes from dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-supplemented animals are good hydroxyl radical scavengers, as demonstrated through electron spin resonance and deoxyribose degradation. The ability of DHEAsupplemented microsomes to react with superoxide radical was also demonstrated through the inhibition of nitroblue tetrazolium reduction determined by superoxide radicals produced in a hypoxanthine±xanthine oxidase system. DHEA-enriched microsomes, obtained from acutely DHEA-treated rats, become resistant to iron-dependent lipid peroxidation triggered by H 2 O 2 /FeSO 4 and ascorbate/FeSO 4 .

The direct addition of DHEA to microsomes from untreated rats failed to prevent iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, even if the microsomes were preincubated with DHEA for up to 15 min, indicating that in vivo transformation is required before antioxidant action can be exerted.