Androgen Metabolism In Rat Testicular Tissue1

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Abstract
Concentration of 3H-testosterone (T), 3H-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 3H-androstanediols were measured in blood and testicular tissue at various timed intervals in. 43-day-old rats injected with 100 μ-Ci sc of 3H-T. Concentrations of 3H-T were always higher in blood than testis and concentrations of 3H-DHT and 3H-androstanediols were always higher in testis than blood. Significant amounts of 3H-DHT and 3H-T remained in, the testis at the end of 6 hr. In experiments in vitro, metabolism of 3H-T, 3H-DHT or 3H-androstanediol by teased testicular tissue was examined in immature or mature rats under varying cofactor conditions. Tissue from immature rats showed significantly greater (p < 0.05) ability to form 5α-reduced metabolites of 3H-T than did mature testis, while little difference was seen between metabolites of 3H-DHT or 3H-androstanediol in these groups. An intercon-version of several 3H-5α-reduced compounds was noted in the tissues from immature and mature animals. Addition of NADPH increased the quantity of 5α reduction in both immature and mature animals. Incubation of 3H-T with seminiferous tubules or interstitial, tissue from mature rats produced only small quantities of 5α-reduced compounds. However, under similar conditions, 3H-DHT, a 5α-reduced compound, was almost completely converted to other compounds by the tubules or interstitial tissue. Under the conditions of the experiment the seminiferous tubules produced primarily 3H-androstanediol while the interstitial tissue produced mostly 3H-3β-androstanediol. When 3H-androstanediol was incubated with seminiferous tubules or interstitial tissue the main metabolite was androsterone while 3H-DHT was produced in small quantities. (Endocrinology94: 346,1974)

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