DHEA Bioavailability Following Administration of Vaginal Suppositories in Post-Menopausal Women With Vaginal Atrophy

Humans, are unique among animal species in having adrenals that secrete large amounts of the inactive precursor steroids dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and especially its sulfate DHEA-S. The marked reduction in the formation of DHEA-S by the adrenals during aging results in a dramatic fall in the formation of androgens and estrogens in peripheral target tissues, a situation that has been proposed to be associated with age-related diseases including skin atrophy, insulin resistance and obesity. Much attention has been given to the benefits of DHEA administered to postmenopausal women, especially on the bone, skin, vagina and well being after oral as well as percutaneous administration of the precursor steroid. Therefore, this study proposes to evaluate the systemic bioavailability and the effectiveness of 1.3 mL vaginal suppositories of DHEA at 4 different concentrations (0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0% et 1.8%) following 1 week administration of vaginal suppositories in post-menopausal women with vaginal atrophy. This is a phase I, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.