Precursors of the Urinary ll-Desoxy-17-ketosteroids: Influence of the Level of Secretion of Dehydroisoandrosterone Upon Its Metabolism

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of the level of secretion of dehydroisoandrosterone upon its metabolism. The level of secretion of dehydroisoandrosterone was altered in a normal adult male by several techniques (adrenal suppression with dexamethasone, adrenal stimulation with ACTH, and the continuous intravenous infusion of dehydroisoandrosterone). At each level of secretion, the conversion of an intravenously administered tracer dose of 7α-H³- dehydroisoandrosterone to urinary dehydroisoandrosterone and to androsterone +etiocholanolone was estimated. The results indicate that the fraction of the tracer converted to urinary dehydroisoandrosterone varied in proportion to the level of secretion of dehydroisoandrosterone, whereas the fraction of the tracer converted to urinary androsterone +etiocholanolone was remarkably constant over a wide range of secretion.