VARIABILITY OF ANDROSTERONE METABOLISM IN MALE WISTAR RATS

[3H]androsterone was administered intraperitoneally into male Wistar rats with biliary fistulas. The major portion of the radioactivity was recovered in the bile within 24 hr. There was marked diversity in androsterone metabolism. Half of the rats excreted large amounts of steroid monoglucuronides rapidly into bile, whereas the remaining rats eliminated various steroid conjugates at a much slower rate. In both groups, androsterone was metabolized to 2- and 16-oxygenated C19O3 and C19O4 steroids and probably poly oxygenated steroids. In contrast, the injected [3H]androsterone glucuronide was recovered rapidly and quantitatively in the bile. These results indicate the extensive metabolism of androsterone prior to glucuronidation and probably the existence of variations of UDP-glucuronyltransferase toward the oxygenated metabolites of androsterone. © 1979.