METABOLISM OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE BY THE SEPARATED ZONES OF THE HUMAN FOETAL AND NEWBORN ADRENAL CORTEX

Abstract

SUMMARY An ultramicrochemical technique has been applied to the study of the metabolism in vitro of [ 3 H]DHA in the separated adult and foetal zones of the human adrenal gland. Evidence has been found for the formation of DHA sulphate and androstenedione in the adult and foetal zone, and whole adrenal gland preparations obtained from one newborn hydrocephalic infant and two mid-term foetuses, and also for the formation of 1 1β-hydroxyandrostenedione in the adult zone tissue from the hydrocephalic infant. In all experiments, more DHA was converted to DHA sulphate by the foetal zone (21–27% conversion) than by the adult zone (5–7% conversion), whereas more androstenedione was formed in the adult zone than in the foetal zone. At mid-term less than 0·6% of [ 3 H]DHA was converted to androstenedione compared with 33 and 3·4% conversion by the adult and foetal zone tissue, respectively, from the hydrocephalic infant. These results are discussed in relation to perfusion studies of the human foetus and previous in vitro and histochemical investigations of the human foetal adrenal gland.