Biosynthesis and regulation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in brain Authors Ying Liu Vassilios Papadopoulos Abstract Steroids synthesized in the nervous system were termed neurosteroids because they are believed to be targeted exclusively to brain cells. Using as a model the steroidogenic pathway defined in peripheral endocrine tissues, it has been shown that brain glial cells can convert cholesterol to pregnenolone, precursor of a number of steroid modulators of neuronal func tions including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), one of the main neuroactive steroids synthesized in brain. However, the data presented up to date did not find key elements of this pathway in brain, such as the 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase cytochrome P450 (CYP17) activity responsible forDHEAformation in peripheral tissues, suggesting the presence of distinct, brain (cell)-specific, pathway for DHEA biosynthesis. The present manuscript reviews our efforts to explore and characterize the mechanism of synthesis and regulation of the neurosteroidDHEA. Our long-term goal is to understand the neurochemical basis of steroid biosynthesis in brain. During the past years we provided evidence for a novel, brain cell-specific CYP17-independent alternative pathway forDHEA biosynthesis. Moreover, we demonstrated that brainDHEA formation is regulated by oxidative stress, and triggered by iron and β-amyloid peptide both in vitro andin vivo. In conclusion, these data suggest that there is a brain-specific DHEA biosynthetic pathway. Downloads Download data is not yet available. Downloads Text complet (Català) Published 2007-12-28 Issue 56, 2005 : Endocrinologia molecular / Jaume Reventós editor Section Articles License The intellectual property of the articles belongs to the respective authors. At the time of submitting the articles to Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Biologia, authors accept the following terms: — Authors assign to the SCB (a subsidiary of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans) the rights of reproduction, public communication (including communication through social networks) and distribution of the articles submitted for publication to Treballs de la Societat Catalana de Biologia, in any form and medium, including digital platforms. The Publications Committee reserves the right to accept or refuse submitted articles and the right to make any editorial changes it deems appropriate. If the suggested changes are accepted by authors, they should re-submit the article with such changes. — Authors answer to the SCB for the authorship and originality of submitted articles. In other words, authors assure that submitted articles do not contain fragments of works by other authors or fragments of their own previously published works; that the content of articles is original, and that the copyright of third parties is not infringed upon. Authors accept this responsibility and undertake to hold harmless the SCB for any loss or damage resulting from non-compliance with this obligation. Furthermore, they should include a statement in articles submitted to the journal regarding their responsibility for the content of the articles. — Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the reproduction of all graphic material included in articles, and they should moreover ensure that images, videos, etc., have been created with the consent of the individuals appearing in them, and that material belonging to third parties is clearly identified and acknowledged as such within the text. Likewise, authors should provide the respective consents and authorisations to the SCB when submitting articles. — The SCB is exempt from any liability arising from the possible infringement of intellectual property rights by authors. In all cases, it undertakes to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies, if necessary. — Unless otherwise stated in the text or in the graphic material, the contents published in the journal are subject to an Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivs 3.0 Spain (by-nc-nd) license from Creative Commons, the full text of which may be consulted at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/deed.en. Therefore, the general public is authorised to reproduce, distribute and communicate articles as long as their authorship and publishing entity are acknowledged, and no commercial use is made of them nor derivative work produced from them. — The journal is not responsible for the ideas and opinions expressed by the authors of published articles.
