Dehydroepiandrosterone biosynthesis, role, and mechanism of action in the developing neural tube.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is synthesized from cholesterol by activity of P450scc and P450c17, enzymes that we previously characterized in the developing nervous system. We describe the localization of P450c17 in the differentiated field of the ventral spinal cord in different motor neuron subtypes. We show that, during organogenesis, P450c17 activity is regulated along the antero/posterior axis of the spinal cord concomitantly with the gradient of neurogenesis.

Bladder function after incomplete spinal cord injury in mice: quantifiable outcomes associated with bladder function and efficiency of dehydroepiandrosterone as a therapeutic adjunct.

Object: The authors conducted a study to establish outcomes associated with bladder function in a mouse model of spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess the sensitivity of these outcomes in determining the efficacy of pharmacological treatments.

Methods: A mouse model of moderate contusive SCI was used. Outcome parameters included physiological, behavioral, and morphological measurements.