Sexual Differentiation of Hepatic Metabolism of Corticosterone and Testosterone in the Rat

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Abstract
The metabolism of corticosterone and testosterone has been studied in vitro in separate aliquots of the same homogenates of livers from neonatally masculinized and non-masculinized adult castrate male rats. The recovered metabolites were sepa rated by TLC and identified by the combined use of GLC and appropriate derivative formation. The major effect of neonatal masculinization upon the metabolism of both steroids was to increase the ratio of 3β : 3α metabolites but this effect was much more prominent in the metabolism of corticosterone than of testosterone. Only 5α metabolites of corticosterone were found, whereas a minor amount of 5β products appeared in the case of testosterone. Reduction at C-20 accounted for only about 5% of the metabolism of corticosterone with the exclusive formation of 20β-hydroxy derivatives in the non-masculinized liver, but of both 20α and 20β products in the masculinized liver. Small amounts of acetylated androstane 3,17- diols and 3-hydroxy-17-ketones were formed, apparently by enzymic reactions that are influenced by neonatal masculinization.