Steroid entry into rete testis fluid and the blood-testis barrier.

Evidence that steroids enter rete testis fluid (RTF) from the blood at varying rates was obtained during i.v. infusions into rats. Testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone were readily transferred into the fluid, whereas cholesterol was excluded. Between these extremes, the appearance of radioactivity in the RTF suggested the following order of entry rate: progesterone greater than pregnenolone greater than 5-alpha-reduced androgens greater than oestrogens greater than corticosteroids. Preliminary identification of metabolites in RTF and blood suggested that testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone were transferred largely unchanged. Androstenedione and progesterone, however, were largely metabolized during transfer into the RTF, the former being transformed to testosterone. The results are used to discuss the nature of the blood-testis barrier to steroids and the source of androgens in the RTF.