AN INVESTIGATION OF THE POSSIBLE PRECURSORS OF URINARY PREGNANETRIOL

Abstract

SUMMARY The conversion of three possible precursors of pregnanetriol, namely 11-deoxycortisol, 3β,17α-dihydroxypregn-5-en-20-one and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, to pregnanetriol has been studied quantitatively. After the intravenous injection of pregnanetriol, 66% of the dose was recovered as pregnanetriol in urine. The amounts of the three possible precursors converted to pregnanetriol were 0, 8 and 35% of the injected dose, respectively. Evidence is presented to show that the pregnanetriol excreted after the injection of 3β,17α-dihydroxypregn-5-en-20-one was 5β-pregnance-3α,17α,20α-triol. The excretion of dehydroepiandrosterone was not increased by the injection of 3β,17α-dihydroxypregn-5-en-20-one.