Endocrinology, Vol 129, 3174-3179, Copyright © 1991 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Dehydroepiandrosterone antagonizes the suppressive effects of dexamethasone on lymphocyte proliferation

KL Blauer, M Poth, WM Rogers and EW Bernton
Reproductive Endocrinology Division, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20307.

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) appears to have physiological effects opposing those of glucocorticoids in several animal models. Recently, immunomodulatory effects of treatment with DHEA have been described. This paper reports the effects of DHEA treatment on splenocyte blastogenic responses as well as thymic and spleen weights in C3H/HeN mice. Pretreatment of mice with sc DHEA (60 mg/kg.day) for 3 days in vivo antagonized the profound suppression of in vitro blastogenic responses seen in T- and B-lymphocytes after a single injection of dexamethasone (DEX; 60 mg/kg). Pretreatment with DHEA also significantly reduced dexamethasone-induced thymic and splenic atrophy. Splenic lymphocytes from DHEA-treated mice were markedly more resistant to in in vitro suppression of blastogenesis by DEX at 10(-6)-10(-8) M compared to lymphocytes from control mice. However, DHEA added to lymphocyte cultures in vitro over a concentration range from 10(-7)-10(-8) M failed to protect against suppression of mitogenic responses caused by addition of DEX to cultures. In summary, DHEA given in vivo antagonizes the suppressive actions of DEX on lymphoid target tissues in mice.