Dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate

Failure of dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate to promote growth.[Pubmed:2939100]

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1986 Jun;62(6):1322-4.

Adrenal androgens may promote pubertal growth. To assess this possibility, we administered dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) enanthate in monthly im injections in a dose of 70 mg/m2 for 1 yr to five boys with constitutional short stature (aged 11-13 4/12 yr) and one boy (aged 13 4/12 yr) with panhypopituitarism (coincidentally receiving T4 and human GH). All had bone age delay of at least 3 yr and subnormal levels of DHEA and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S) for their chronological age. Pretreatment growth velocity ranged from 3-5 cm/yr. After DHEA enanthate injection, plasma DHEA levels were increased 10-fold after 8 days, 2.6-fold after 15 days, and 1.8-fold after 22 days. At the same times, plasma DHEA-S concentrations were 14-, 6-, and 4-fold increased, respectively. There was no rise in plasma testosterone and delta 4-androstenedione, which remained at prepubertal levels. During the year of therapy and for 1 yr after therapy, there was no significant change in growth velocity, and the rate of skeletal maturation assessed by x-ray was not affected. Three of the five boys with constitutional short stature entered puberty within 1 yr after discontinuation of therapy. These results demonstrate that this long-acting form of DHEA administered for 1 yr did not raise plasma testosterone above prepubertal levels and did not accelerate either growth or skeletal maturation. These findings do not support the possibility that DHEA plays a role in normal growth.

Clinical and metabolic effects of Gynodian-depot in vegetoneurotic disorders following removal of uterine myoma in menopausal patients.[Pubmed:6229431]

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1983 Nov;16(3):213-25.

Clinical and metabolic effects of depot-injections of estradiol valerianate-Dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate at a 1:50 ratio (Gynodian-depot) in the treatment of severe clinical manifestations of the vegetoneurotic syndrome were evaluated in menopuasal patients after hysterectomy for uterine myoma. Favourable comprehensive effects of the drug were noted, which in most patients contributed to the elimination or significant alleviation of major vegetoneurotic, psychoemotional and metabolic-endocrine disorders. An effective combination of the estrogenic and androgenic hormonal components and their ratios, coupled with very insignificant side-effects, is an important advantage of the drug, permitting its large-scale use for the control of menopausal complications, particularly after surgery for a uterine tumour.

Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate to oophorectomized women--effects on sex hormones and lipid metabolism.[Pubmed:6453267]

Maturitas. 1980 Dec;2(4):301-9.

Eight bilaterally oophorectomized women were given a depot injection of 200 mg DHEA-enanthate to study the effect on endocrine and lipid metabolism. A decrease in sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and an increase in androstenedione was found 14 and 30 days after the injection. No changes could be detected in LH, FSH, oestrone, oestradiol or oestriol. Testosterone showed a tendency towards an increase. As compared to pre-treatment values, plasma lipids were unaltered after 30 days. A decrease in high density lipoproteins (HDL), cholesterol and in very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), free cholesterol, total cholesterol and phospholipids were seen in the lipid composition of the lipoproteins on day 30. These findings are in agreement with previous data reported after the administration of drugs with androgen-like effects. The relative fatty acid composition of plasma lecithin revealed only minor changes while the fatty acid composition of cholesterol esters indicated a decreased portion of essential fatty acids. These results suggest, in agreement with previous studies, an impaired endogenous cholesterol formation in the liver. The results from the analysis of the fatty acid composition of lecithin and cholesterol esters might indicate a decreased percentage of exogenous (dietary) cholesterol ester in plasma.

Serum testosterone, FSH/LH and urinary excretion of estrogens and corticoids during treatment with an injectable, longacting estrogen-DHEA preparation.[Pubmed:160742]

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1979;58(4):385-8.

Ten weeks after total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, nine women were treated with injections of Gynodian, composed of 4 mg estradiol valerate and 200 mg Dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate, followed by injections of Primodian, composed of 4 mg estradiol valerate and 90.27 mg testosterone enanthate. Before commencement of treatment estimation of serum FSH, LH and testosterone, and analyses for total estrogen, 17-ketogenic steroids and fractionated 17-ketosteroids in 24-hour urine samples were carried out in all patients. The same serum and urine analyses were made 2 weeks after the first Gynodian injection and the first Primodian injection respectively. Serum testosterone concentrations did not change during treatment with Gynodian, whereas they rose markedly after administration of Primodian. Two weeks after the first injection of Gynodian and also of Primodian, the total estrogen excretion was only slightly increased in comparison with the value measured before start of treatment, and the serum FSH/LH ratio was only slightly depressed. The daily urinary excretion of 17-ketogenic steroids and of fractionated 17-ketosteroids were unchanged during treatment.