THE EFFECT OF BLOOD-BORNE FACTORS ON ADRENAL STEROID SYNTHESIS IN THE GOLDEN HAMSTER (MESOCRICETUS AURATUS NEHRING)

Abstract

SUMMARY Incubation of hamster adrenal tissue in Krebs bicarbonate Ringer solution gave rapid conversion of added [4-14C]cortisol to cortisone. Moreover, incubation in Ringer solution with [4-14C]progesterone as precursor invariably yielded cortisone in greater amounts than cortisol. On the other hand it has been confirmed that cortisol is the major free ultraviolet absorbing steroid in the adrenal venous blood of the hamster. Incubation of adrenal tissue with [4-14C]progesterone in hamster whole blood gave relatively greater amounts of cortisol which were more in keeping with the findings in vivo. This suggested that the blood contains factors which affect the cortisone-cortisol equilibrium by modifying adrenal enzyme activity. Some reduction of [3H] cortisone to cortisol was also observed during incubation with blood alone.