TESTOSTERONE METABOLISM IN TARGET TISSUES - HYPOTHALAMIC AND PITUITARY TISSUES OF ADULT RAT AND HUMAN FETUS, AND IMMATURE RAT EPIPHYSIS

Rat pituitary, hypothalamic and cerebral cortical minces are demonstrated to effect the conversion of testosterone (T) to 5α-androstan-17β-o1-3-one (DHT) and Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione (Δ4A). The pituitary effected the greatest conversion of T to both DHT and Δ4A. The hypothalamus converted more T to DHT than did the cerebral cortex; but the conversion of T to Δ4A in these two tissues occured to approximately the same extent. Analysis of the time course of the conversion of T to DHT in these tissues demonstrated the conversion to increase in a linear fashion over 180 min., while the maximum conversions in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex were reached by 120 min. The conversion of T to DHT and Δ4A was also demonstrated in the human fetal hypothalamus and pituitary, and in the distal femoral epiphysis of the growing rat. In the femoral epiphysis, 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol was also identified. © 1968 Holden-Day, Inc.