Effect of acute and chronic administration of dehydroepiandrosterone on(±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane-induced wet dog shaking behavior in rats

It has been reported that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is associated with affective disorders and that pathology of affective disorders are related with dysfunction of serotonin(5-HT)-2A receptor-mediated responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of DHEA on (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI), 5-HT-2A receptor agonist, -induced wet dog shaking behavior (WDS) in rats. Acute treatment with DHEA inhibited the DOI-induced WDSs dose dependently. This inhibition was recovered by opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone. 5-HT-2A receptor-mediated WDSs were desensitized after chronic treatment with DOI, however chronic treatment with DHEA had no effect on this desensitization. Chronic treatment with DHEA had no facilitating effect of chronic dexamethasone treatment on DOI-induced WDSs. These findings may lead the possibility that DHEA has the inhibitory effect of 5-HT-2A mediated signaling pathway via non-genomic action.