THE IN VITRO BIOSYNTHESIS OF ESTRADIOL-17β-4-C14BY SURVIVING NORMAL AND STEIN–LEVENTHAL-TYPE OVARIAN SLICES

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Abstract
The biological aromatization of androstenedione-4-C14, testosterone-4-C14, and dehydroepiandrosterone-4-C14by surviving human normal and Stein–Leventhal-type ovarian slices was investigated. The precursors were incubated with the tissue slices in a Krebs–Ringer–phosphate–glucose medium (pH 7.4) in an O2atmosphere at 37 °C for 6 and (or) 24 hours. As a cofactor, 1000 I.U. of human chorionic gonadotrophin was added to each incubation vessel. Both normal and polymicrocystic ovarian slices transformed the precursors partially to estradiol-17β. This compound was identified by isotopic dilution techniques and by the constancy of specific activities of its chemical derivatives. There was no significant qualitative or quantitative difference in the aromatization capacity of the two kinds of tissue. In addition, biosynthetic androstenedione-4-C14and testo-sterone-4-C14were positively identified. These experiments seem to indicate that under the experimental conditions used, the aromatization mechanism is functioning normally in Stein–Leventhal-type ovaries.