Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Its Sulfate (DHEA-S) in Mammalian Reproduction: Known Roles and Novel Paradigms.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of biological mechanisms with no new empirical human data
PubMed 30029728 · doi:10.1016/bs.vh.2018.02.001
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on the physiological roles of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S) in mammalian reproduction, ovarian steroidogenesis, and oocyte maturation.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data. It describes DHEA as a major intermediate in follicular steroidogenesis and synthesizes evidence that DHEA and DHEA-S may regulate calcium channels and trigger calcium oscillations required for oocyte activation and meiotic maturation.
Why it matters
It provides a mechanistic hypothesis that DHEA/DHEA-S supplementation could serve as a non-invasive, physiological method for in vitro oocyte activation in assisted reproduction.
Limits
As a narrative review, the abstract provides no study counts, sample sizes, methodology criteria, or quantitative clinical outcomes.
Cited by
- supports All steroid hormones in the body, including testosterone and estradiol, are enzymatically derived from cholesterol as their biochemical precursor.