NEUTRAL STEROID SULPHATES IN AMNIOTIC FLUID

Abstract

SUMMARY Steroid monosulphate and disulphate fractions were obtained by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 from human amniotic fluid collected at term. Only 16α-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone could be identified in the monosulphate fraction, the detection limit being 5–8 μg./1000 ml. amniotic fluid. In the disulphate fraction 5-androstene-3β,17α-diol, 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol, 5-pregnene-3β,20α-diol, 5α-pregnane-3β,20α-diol, 16α-hydroxydehy-droepiandrosterone, 16β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone, 3β, 17β-dihy-droxy-5-androsten-16-one and 5-pregnene-3β,17α,20α-triol were identified by gas—liquid chromatography and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. The concentrations of these steroids were determined in a pool of human amniotic fluid taken at term. The main compound was 5-androstene-3β,17α-diol.