Adrenal contribution to circulating estrogens in woman.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To study the contribution of adrenal glands to circulating estrogens in women, the concentrations of estrone (E1), estradiol-17.beta. (E2) and estriol (E3) in adrenal and peripheral venous blood were measured by radioimmunoassay, and the glandular secretion of estrogens after ACTH stimulation was investigated by analyzing the adrenal vein levels of these steroids in patients with breast cancer who were undergoing a therapeutic adrenal operation. Adrenal secretion rates of estrogens and cortisol were estimated. Greater concentrations of estrogens existed in adrenal vein than in peripheral blood: about 3 .times. higher for E1 (P < 0.001), and 2 .times. higher for E2 and E3 (P < 0.05). ACTH administration significantly increased E1 and E2 concentrations in adrenal venous blood to mean 150% of basal levels and was comparable to the increase of cortisol. Apparent adrenal estrogen secretion rates estimated under a surgical situation were 7.7 .+-. 1.7 .mu.g/day for E1, 1.9 .+-. 0.3 .mu.g/day for E2 and 0.3 .+-. 0.2 .mu.g/day for E3; the secretion rate of cortisol was 52.7 .+-. 8.2 .mu.g/min. Apparently direct adrenal secretion of not only E1, but also E2 and E3 contributes to the circulating estrogen levels. The adrenal might be responsible for the relatively important source of estrogen production in the aged woman.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: