Measurement of 5-Androsten-3β, 17β-diol in Spermatic and Peripheral Venous Blood Samples from the Same Human Subjects by a Radioimmunoassay Method

Abstract

An original method for 5-androsten-3.beta.,17.beta.-diol (A-diol) measurement using an antiserum is described. A-diol and testosterone (T) were determined by radioimmunoassay methods in spermatic and peripheral venous plasma of 9 normal subjects during surgical intervention for inguinal hernia repair. In spermatic venous plasma the levels of T and A-diol were, respectively, 25.9 .+-. 13.3 and 4.8 .+-. 5.1 .mu.g/100 ml (mean .+-. SD) with an A-diol/T ratio of 0.19 .+-. 0.15 (mean .+-. SD); in peripheral plasma the levels of T and A-diol were, respectively, 269 .+-. 58 and 91 .+-. 25 ng/100 ml (mean .+-. SD) with an A-diol/T ratio of 0.35 .+-. 0.12 (mean .+-. SD) significantly different from spermatic venous plasma (P < 0.01). From these data a mean testicular A-diol secretion of about 0.70 mg/24 h can be calculated: this value corresponds approximately to the 50% of the blood production rate (BPR) of this steroid. It can be assumed that a large amount of A-diol in systemic blood comes from sources outside the male gonad.