[Metabolism of sex steroid hormones in neuroendocrine organs. I. In vitro androgen metabolism in the hypophyses and epiphyses of rats during the puberal period].

Metabolism of tritium-labeled testosterone, delta4-androstane-3, 17-dion, dihydrotestosterone. 5alpha-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-diod and 5alpha-androstane-3beta, 17beta-dion by the isolated hypophyses and epiphyses of male and female 30-day rats was studied. The glands were incubated in Eagle's medium containing the mentioned androgens with the concentration of 1-2.10(-8) M for 90 min at 37 degrees C. As revealed, restoration of testosterone and delta4 androstane-3, 17-dion by 5alpha-reductase occurred in the epiphyses and hypophyses; under conditions of incubation androgen hydroxylation was realized only in the 3alpha- and 17beta-positions. Organ and sexual specificity of the androgen metabolism in the hypophyses and the epiphyses was quantitative in character: the metabolism level of all the androgens was greater in female rats than in the male both in the hypophysis and in the epiphyses; the activity of 5-reductase was lower in the epiphyses of animals of the both sexes than in the hypophyses. It appeared that in the process of biotransformation androgens in the organs under study served as precursors of the polar unidentified metabolites poorly retained by the tissues and eliminated from the organs into the incubation medium during the incubation.