DETERMINATION OF TETRAHYDROCORTISOL AND TETRAHYDROCORTISONE IN THE URINE OF NORMAL AND SCHIZOPHRENIC MEN*

Abstract

IN THE course of determining human urinary excretion patterns by paper chromatography (1, 2, 3), tetrahydrocortisol (THF) or pregnanctetrol- 3α,11β,17α-21-one-20 and tetrahydrocortisone (THE) or pregmmetriol-3α,17α,21-dione-11,20 were found to be present in every extract from a series of 37 subjects. Frequently aliquots of these two eluted steroids were taken and the quantities present estimated colorimetrically with the blue tetrazolium reaction (4). The preliminary determinations indicated a fairly consistent ratio of THE to THF. Meanwhile, Baggett, Kinsclla and Doisy (5) had determined by paper chromatography and the Porter-Silbcr reaction (PS) (6) the amounts of THE present in urinary extracts from a series of 10 subjects. Accordingly, it appeared feasible to determine routinely the ratios of excretion of these two important urinary steroids, THE and THF, to each other and to the total 17,21-dihydroxy-20-ketosteroid (PS) output in a relatively small aliquot of a 24-hour urine sample. The results obtained for 40 urine samples collected under varying circumstances from an Air Force bomber crew of 8 men, and for 15 samples obtained from male schizophrenics from the Worcester State Hospital are presented.