Metabolism of Testosterone-14C by Seminiferous Tubules of Mature Rats: Formation of 5α-Androstan-3α,17β-diol-14C

Abstract

Rat isolated testicular tubules and interstitial tissue were incubated with testosterone-¹⁴C for 3 hours at 37 or 31 C. In the tubules, 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol-¹⁴C was the main identified metabolite with little formation of dihydrotestosterone- ¹⁴C or androstendione-¹⁴C. In the interstitial tissue, androstendione-¹⁴C was the predominant metabolite isolated with insignificant conversion into 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol-¹⁴C or dihydrotestosterone-¹⁴C. At different incubation times, the conversion of testosterone-¹⁴C into 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol-¹⁴C varied from 10% at half an hour to 35% at 4 hours. It is concluded that, under the conditions of these experiments, mature rat seminiferous tubules actively convert testosterone into 5α-androstan-3α,17β-diol. (Endocrinology90: 618, 1972)