Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate as a digitalis like factor in plasma of healthy human adults
Vasdev, S.; Longerich, L.; Johnson, E.; Brent, D.; Gault, M.H.
Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology 49(3): 387-399
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-5164 PMID: 2997888 Document Number: 262521
Plasma values for digitalis like factors (DLF) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in 11 healthy adults were (mean .+-. SD) 44 .+-. 6 pmol digoxin equivalents/L and 11 .+-. 3 .mu.mol/L respectively. DHEA-S accounted for 62-100% of the total plasma DLF. DHEA-S and plasma DLF displaced [125I]digoxin from digoxin antibody, inhibited hog brain Na, K-ATPase and displaced [3H]ouabain from ATPase in a concentration dependent manner similar to digoxin. Plasma extracts (11 subjects) inhibited Na, K-ATPase and displaced [3H]ouabain from Na, K-ATPase withe mean values .+-. SD of 1.7 .+-. 0.22 and 1.8 .+-. 0.25 nmol digoxin equivalents/L plasma respectively. HPLC fractionation of plasma DLF showed several peaks. The major peak was due to DHEA-S, identified by its retention time, radioimmunoassay of DHEA-S and mass spectrometry.