Search

The oestrogen content of two 24 h pools of pregnancy faeces, obtained from 2 normal women in the 33rd-37th week og gestation, was studied. The qualitative analyses were made by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry and the quantitative analyses by mass fragmentography. The presence of the following oestrogens in pregnancy faeces was established: Oestriol, oestrone, oestradiol-17 beta, 16-epioestriol, 17-epioestriol, 16 alpha-hydroxyoestrone, 16-oxo-oestradiol-17 beta, 15 alpha-hydroxyoestrone and 15 alpha-hydroxyoestradiol-17 beta. In addition, mass fragmentographic evidence was obtained for the presence of 16 beta-hydroxyoestrone, 2-methoxyoestrone and oestradiol-17 alpha. The total oestrogen excretion determined in the two pools was 786 and 1300 mug per 24 h. Unconjugated oestrogens accounted for 97.8 and 98.6% of these amounts, respectively. Oestriol, oestradiol-17 beta, 15 alpha-hydroxyoestradiol-17 beta, 16-epioestriol and oestrone, in that order, were quantitatively the most significant of the oestrogens determined. The remarkably high levels of oestradiol-17 beta fround in faeces show, that in pregnancy, this mode of excretion is as important as urine for the elimination of this biologically active steroid. It is suggested that some of the oestradiol may have b-en formed through bacterial enzyme action from other oestrogens or neutral steroids. Only trace amounts of ring D alpha-ketolic oestrogens were found in faeces. This is in marked contrast to the considerable amounts of these steroids found in pregnancy bile and urine.

Unconjugated and total oestriol (E3) have been determined in saliva (S) and plasma (P) by radioimmunoassay using a highly specific antiserum against E3. Total oestrogens (E = E1 + E2 + E3) in urine were analysed by the Kober-Ittrich method. No correlation (P greater than 0.05) was found between unconjugated E3 (S) and total E (U) as well as total E3 (S) and total E (U). Total E3 (S) and unconjugated E3 (P), total E3 (S) and total E3 (P) correlated weakly (P less than 0.05 and greater than 0.01). The six remaining correlations were highly significant (P less than 0.001 or less than 0.0001).

The prostates of 41 foetuses and neonates have been assayed for testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), oestradiol and oestriol and the presence of these hormones has been demonstrated in all cases. Oestriol was found to be present in the highest concentration. A highly significant correlation was found between testosterone and DHT as well as between DHT and oestradiol. The correlation between oestriol and oestradiol was also significant. It has been pointed out that the presence of these hormones is essential for the growth and development of the prostate gland.

After incubation of 1,3,5(10),16-oestratetraenol, a 16-dehydrosteroid, with rat liver microsomes, 16 alpha, 17 alpha-epoxy-oestratrienol was isolated as metabolite. The compound was detected by the use of mass fragmentography after purification of the incubation extract by thin-layer chromatography. Since the epoxide is rapidly hydrolysed by a hepatic epoxide hydratase, only very small concentrations of this metabolite were present in the incubation extract. When styrene oxide was added to the incubation mixture as inhibitor of the epoxide hydratase, the yield of the steroid epoxide increased considerably. Final identification of the oestrogen epoxide was performed by recording mass spectra and by comparison with authentic reference material.