CONVERSION OF STEROIDS TO ALDOSTERONELIKE MATERIAL1

Abstract

Desoxy-corticosterone, corticosterone and progesterone were added to a synthetic medium and perfused through the isolated calf adrenal gland to assess their roles as possible intermediates in the bio-synthesis of aldosterone. The effluents were fractionated by paper chromatography and their content of aldosterone-like material determined by bioassay. On the basis of the present findings and under the conditions employed, desoxycorticos-terone did not qualify as a precursor of aldosterone, corticos-terone gave equivocal results, while progesterone perfusion resulted in a statistically significant increase in the production of aldosterone-like material.