DHEA is a steroid secreted by the adrenal gland with both estrogenic and androgenic properties. It is a negative modulator of GABAA receptors. DHEA inhibits the activity of G6PD (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase) in a dose-dependent manner with EC₅₀ of 4 μm. However, DHEA does not inhibit the enzymatic activity of PGD (6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase), the second enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway.