PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE NATURE OF NEUTRAL 17-KETOSTEROIDS IN HUMAN PLASMA*

Abstract
A pool of 950 ml. of plasma from 4 healthy adult males was examined for neutral 17-ketosteroid content. The procedure involved extraction of the steroid with ether-ethanol, hydrolysis of the 17-ketosteroid conjugates, and purification by solvent partitions and Girard separation. The crude neutral fraction was chromato-graphed on alumina. Dehydroepiandrosterone and androsterone were identified, the former constituting 65% and the latter, 11% of the total neutral ketonic fraction. Trace amounts of unidentified 17-ketosteroids were found.