Secretion of Free and Sulfate-Conjugated Neutral Steroids by the Human Testis. Effect of Administration of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin¹

Abstract

Blood samples were obtained from the spermatic and peripheral veins of 8 males during an operation for inguinal hernia. Three of the subjects were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) before collection of the samples. Neutral steroids in the fractions of free, mono-and disulfated compounds were identified and quantified, using gas-liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition to testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone, the following unconjugated neutral steroids were found to be secreted by the normal human testis: 5-androstene-3/3,17a-diol, 5-androstene-3/3,17/3-diol, pregnenolone, 17a-hydroxypregnenolone and 17a-hydroxyprogesterone. In subjects treated with HCG, the concentrations of all these steroids in spermatic vein plasma were considerably higher than in untreated subjects. In addition, considerable amounts of monosulfated pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone and 5-androstene-3/3, 17/3-diol were found to be secreted by the testis in these conditions, whereas the secretion of testosterone sulfate remained unchanged. It is evident that HCG stimulates not only the secretion of unconjugated steroids but also that of certain sulfate-conjugated neutral steroids, which possibly serve as precursors of testosterone in the testis. Testosterone is excreted almost exclusively as the free steroid even in these conditions. (J Clin Endocr 32: 59, 1971)

Measurement of 5-Androsten-3<i>&beta;</i>, 17<i>&beta;</i>-diol in Spermatic and Peripheral Venous Blood Samples from the Same Human Subjects by a Radioimmunoassay Method

“…An A-diol/T ratio of 0.2 in human spermatic venous blood has been found by Laatikainen et al (11). Such a ratio between these two steroids has also been recorded in the systemic blood circulation of normal men (18).…”

Persistent testicular delta5-isomerase-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (delta5-3beta-HSD) deficiency in the delta5-3beta-HSD form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

“…Several steroids have been found to be secreted directly by the testes. In males approximately 40% of 17a-hydroxypregnenolone secretion is of testicular origin (35), and DHA, though mainly secreted by the adrenal, has also been found in the spermatic vein effluent of man (36). A5-androstene-Schneider, Genel, Bongiovanni, Goldman, and Rosenfield diol is the second most abundant steroid in spermatic vein plasma; the ratio of testosterone to DHA is 37:1, compared to 4: 1 for testosterone to A5-androstenediol (36).…”

“…In males approximately 40% of 17a-hydroxypregnenolone secretion is of testicular origin (35), and DHA, though mainly secreted by the adrenal, has also been found in the spermatic vein effluent of man (36). A5-androstene-Schneider, Genel, Bongiovanni, Goldman, and Rosenfield diol is the second most abundant steroid in spermatic vein plasma; the ratio of testosterone to DHA is 37:1, compared to 4: 1 for testosterone to A5-androstenediol (36). This latter ratio corresponds to that found in the peripheral plasma by Rosenfield and Otto (8) and confirmed by recent studies from two separate laboratories (37,38).…”

Steroid sulfatase activity in homogenates, microsomes and purified Leydig cells from adult rat testis

“…It has been known for a long time that the human testis is able to produce large amounts of steroid sulfates (Laatikainen et aL, 1971;Ruokonen et t al., 1972). More recent data have shown that these sulfoconjugates can be used as testicular androgen precursors and suggested that steroid sulfatase (STS) may act as a regulatory enzyme for the release of free androgens in humans (Bolton et al, 1985) and boars (Orava ef t aL, 1985).…”