There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Steroid sulfatase inhibitors can alter the metabolism of neurosteroids which modulate
brain function. Administration of the non-steroidal steroid sulfatase inhibitor (p-O-sulfamoyl)-N-tetradecanoyl
tyramine (DU-14) to rats for 15 days increased plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
(DHEAS) concentrations by 88.2%, decreased plasma dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations
by 84.6%, increased hippocampal acetylcholine (ACh) release determined via in vivo
microdialysis by almost 3-fold, and produced a significant blockade of scopolamine-induced
amnesia as measured by a passive avoidance test. These results suggest DHEAS rather
than DHEA enhances brain cholinergic function and that steroid sulfatase inhibition
may become an important tool for enhancing neuronal functions, such as memory, mediated
by excitatory neurosteroids.