ANDROSTANEDIOL SULPHATES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD OF IMMATURE RATS AND SOME OF THEIR BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SUMMARY: The conjugation of 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α-A) and its 3β epimer (3β-A) was determined in the peripheral blood of immature female rats. About two thirds of these steroids were present in blood as sulphates and one third as glucuronides; no free steroids were detected. Administration of 3β-A sulphate (25 μg/100 g body weight/day) and of 3α-A sulphate (50 μg/100 g/day) from day 21 of life until the day of vaginal opening, advanced the day of the first ovulation. Administration of the 3β-A sulphate did not induce precocious vaginal opening whereas the free alcohol was active in this respect. Implantation of 3β-A sulphate, but not of the 3α epimer, into the basal medial hypothalamus resulted in the death of all animals within 24 h.