Studies on the Metabolism of C₁₉‐Steroids in Rat Liver

Abstract

The formation of polar C 19 ‐steroids with a 3‐oxo‐Δ 4 ‐structure after incubation of testosterone with 105,000 × g microsomes of adult male rat liver was investigated. The ultraviolet‐positive metabolites were isolated by thin‐layer chromatography. The isolated compounds were identified as 2β‐, 6β‐, 7α‐, and 16α‐hydroxytestosterone by means of gas‐liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. A dihydroxytesterone was also isolated and tentatively identified as 6β,16α,17β‐tri‐hydroxyandrost‐4‐en‐3‐one.