METABOLISM OF TESTOSTERONE BY THE EPITHELIUM AND MESENCHYME OF THE RAT UROGENITAL SINUS

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Abstract
Testosterone metabolism was measured in separated epithelium and mesenchyme from the urogenital sinuses of 17- and 19-day-old male and female rat embryos and compared with testosterone metabolism in the intact sinus. Both the epithelium and the mesenchyme converted testosterone to 5α-dihydrotestosterone. The epithelium produced much more androstanedione and androsterone but less 3α,17β-androstanediol than did the mesenchyme. The whole sinus synthesized all four metabolites, but in different proportions, producing relatively more androsterone than either of its two component tissues. These data suggest that androsterone is formed by the joint action of epithelium and mesenchyme. Metabolism of testosterone did not differ with sex or foetal age in either of the separated tissues or in the intact sinus, implying that the failure of urogenital mesenchyme from 19-day-old female foetuses to induce prostatic morphogenesis is not due to the loss of 5α-reductase. It is suggested that this lack of inductive capacity may be attributable to a decline in androgen levels with age in female mesenchyme.

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