Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a steroid hormone, modified the proli-feration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Its inactive sulfate ester (DHEA-S) and two of its metabolites – estradiol and testosterone – had no inhibitory effect at physiological concentrations. Antiproliferation was associated with arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, but not with cell death, as evaluated by cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and exposure of phosphatidylserine. .
