IN VITRO STEROIDOGENESIS IN NORMAL HUMAN OVARIAN TISSUE

Abstract

Eleven samples of normal human ovarian tissue from the various phases of the cycle were incubated with 7-3H progesterone and 4-14C-5-pregnenolone. Isolation, identification and quantitation of the metabolites showed clearly the pregnenolone is a far better substrate than progesterone for the production of Cl9 steroids. Under the conditions of these incubations, 3[beta]-ol dehydrogenase enzyme activity converted the majority of the metabolites into androstenedione. The accumulation of radioactive androstenedione at the end of the incubation exceeded that of testosterone except in the later part of the luteal phase.