[Proceedings: Study of a new steroid: the 3beta,5alpha-tetrahydro-deoxycorticosterone (3alpha,5beta-tetrahydro-DOC). Its significance during pregnancy (author's transl)].

The physiological significance of a new steroid: the 3beta, 21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3beta,5alpha-tetrahydro-DOC) was studied during human pregnancy. The urinary excretion values in the first and second trimester of pregnancy are 100-400 mug/24 h and in the third trimester the values increase to 240-1080 mug/24 h. This compound is not found in men nor in non-pregnant women but is found in the urine of newborns (2-12 DAYS): 25-80 mug/24 h. After perfusion of the fetus with H-deoxycorticosterone, 3H-3beta, 5alpha-tetrahydro-DOC was found in the fetal liver. These data suggest that this steroid could originate in the fetus: parallel studies of the urinary excretion of the other isomer : 3alpha821 dihydroxy-5beta-pregnan-20-one (3alpha,5beta-tetrahydro-DOC) shows that this compound increases at the end of pregnancy but its excretion rate is 2-3 times less than that of 3beta, 5alpha-tetrahydro-DOC.