ANDROGEN:KETOSTEROID RATIOS OF RABBIT URINE1

Abstract

Simultaneous measurements of biologically active androgens and of 17-ketosteroids have been reported for humans and monkeys. Active androgens account for 30% to 60% of the netural ketonic fraction of human urine (Bauman and Metzger, 1940) and for about 9% to 13% of the same fraction of monkeys) urine, in terms of androsterone (Dorfman et al., 1947). These figures do not represent the actual proportions in untreated urine since considerable alteration of the original steroids occurs during acid hydrolysis (Venning et al., 1942). Urinary 17-ketosteroid levels have been determined for male rabbits (Kimeldorf, 1948) and for female rabbits (De Koning et al., 1948). Metabolites obtained from in vitro incubation of testosterone with rabbit liver slices have been investigated by Clark and Kochakian (1947) who could isolate neither androsterone nor its isomers from the products. Studies on other animals show that biologically active androgens are excreted in relatively small amounts by the chimpanzee (Fish et al., 1941),