Dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of dogs

Concentrations of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate were measured by radioimmunoassay in the cerebrospinal fluid of 68 dogs, diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, inflammatory-, degenerative-, or non-neurological- disease. No differences in steroid concentrations were found between diagnoses. Dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate concentrations were higher in males and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate decreased with increasing age. No sex or age effect was found on cortisol or on hormone ratios. Although limited to a relatively small sample, our results show sex and age dependent variations of these neurosteroids’ concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid. The role of such variations in the pathophysiology of the dog brain warrants further investigation.