title: Metabolism of dihydrotestosterone to 3 alpha-androstanediol in brain and plasma: effect on behavioural activity in female rats.
abstract: Six experiments were carried out to determine whether dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-androstan-17 beta-ol-3-one; DHT) acts to inhibit oestradiol (OE2)-induced lordosis behaviour after its metabolic conversion to 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol (3 alpha-androstanediol, 3 alpha-Adiol). In experiments 1 and 2, ovariectomized rats were treated with several doses of DHT or 3 alpha-Adiol, injected with OE2 and progesterone, and tested for lordosis responsiveness. Significant inhibition of lordosis occurred after a dose of 3 alpha-Adiol which was approximately threefold less than the effective DHT dose. In experiments 3 and 4, plasma concentrations of DHT and 3 alpha-Adiol were measured after the injection of these steroids to ovariectomized rats at doses shown to be both sufficient or insufficient to inhibit lordosis. Behaviourally effective dosages of DHT and 3 alpha-Adiol produced circulating concentrations of 3 alpha-Adiol greater than those produced by behaviourally ineffective doses of DHT or 3 alpha-Adiol. At 30 min after injection of DHT (experiment 3), 78.8% of plasma androgens were in the form of 3 alpha-Adiol, while after injection of 3 alpha-Adiol, only 7.4% were DHT. When plasma DHT and 3 alpha-Adiol were measured at 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after steroid injection (experiment 4), plasma levels of 3 alpha-Adiol produced by the behaviourally subthreshold dose of DHT were significantly lower than levels produced by behaviourally sufficient dosages of DHT or 3 alpha-Adiol. In experiments 5 and 6, concentrations of DHT and 3 alpha-Adiol were measured in five brain regions 1 and 6 h after injection of behaviourally sufficient doses of these steroids to ovariectomized females. At 1 h after injection, similar levels of DHT and 3 alpha-Adiol were measured in DHT- and 3 alpha-Adiol-injected females, and DHT concentrations in the preoptic area were significantly higher in both groups than in any other brain area. At 6 h, animals injected with DHT had significantly higher levels of DHT in all brain areas combined than did 3 alpha-Adiol- or vehicle-injected animals. Brain concentrations of 3 alpha-Adiol were not different between groups injected with DHT, 3 alpha-Adiol or vehicle at this time. In brain, 34.6% of DHT had been converted to 3 alpha-Adiol after 1 h and 53.0% of 3 alpha-Adiol had been converted to DHT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Erskine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hippensteil
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kornberg
mesh_terms: D015114:Androstenediol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D015114:Androstenediol