FORMATION OF STEROIDS BY THE EQUINE FOETAL TESTIS

Abstract

SUMMARY The testes were removed from a 9-month horse foetus and incubated with sodium [1–14C]acetate. After the addition of unlabelled steroids, the following radiochemically pure compounds were obtained: cholesterol, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone and oestrone. There was no radioactivity associated with the carrier equilenin. The yield of labelled dehydroepiandrosterone greatly exceeded that of testosterone and androst-4-ene-3,17-dione.