STEROID BIOSYNTHESIS IN VITRO AND IN TISSUE CULTURE BY ADRENAL TUMOURS OF MICE OF THE CE STRAIN

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Incubation in vitro of homogenates of spontaneous adrenocortical tumours from gonadectomized female mice of the CE strain showed the presence of Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase systems, capable of metabolizing 3β-hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one, 3β, 17α-dihydroxypregn-5-en-20-one and 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one. 17α-, 11β- and 21-hydroxylation of C21-Δ4-3-ketosteroids was also detected as were the enzyme systems required to form 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-7,17-dione from 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one. After tissue culture of the tumour cells for 19 days, histochemical and incubation techniques demonstrated that the cells retained Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17α-, 11β- and 21-hydroxylase activity. Autoradiography localized radioactivity in the original and newly formed cells of the tissue culture.