Urinary androstanediol and testosterone in adults.

Data are presented on the daily urinary excretion of androstanediol and testosterone in healthy adults using a sensitive radioligand assay. In nine men, the average urinary androstanediol (79 mug/day) was not significantly different from the urinary testosterone (84 mug/day). However, in women the average values of urinary androstanediol excretion (12 mug/day) were significantly higher than the urinary testosterone (4.2 mug/day). In each of the females, the urinary androstanediol was greater than the urinary testosterone. The data do not support the hypothesis that the daily urinary androstanediol excretion is a measure of the 5alpha-reduction of testosterone in androgen target tissues.