The Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on In Vitro Spleen Cell Proliferation and Cytokine Production

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a weak androgenic steroid, has been associated with enhancing immune responses and upregulating resistance against viral, parasitic, and bacterial infections. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of DHEA on murine spleen cell viability, proliferation, and cytokine production following in vitro stimulation with the mitogens concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Results showed that exposure to 6 µM DHEA significantly decreased the viability and proliferation of murine spleen cells stimulated with LPS, whereas no effect was seen on murine spleen cells stimulated with ConA. DHEA did influence the production of both ConA-induced and LPS-induced cytokines. DHEA also significantly reduced the mitogen-induced production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) as well as the Th1 cytokines IL-2 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Increasing concentrations of DHEA significantly increased the production of the Th2 cytokine IL-10 but had no effect on the...