Intratesticular unconjugated steroids in elderly men.
As an extension of our studies on the influence of age on testicular function and with the aim of detecting whether the decline in testosterone production by aged testes is accompanied by a block in the biosynthetic chain leading from cholesterol to testosterone, we determined in the testis of young and elderly men, who died suddenly either from a cardiac incident or from accident, intratesticular steroids: pregnenolone, 17 hydroxypregnenolone (3 beta, 17 alpha-dihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one), dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenediol, (5-androsten-3 beta, 17 beta-diol), progesterone, 17 hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, 17 beta-estradiol as well as testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-androstan-17 beta-ol-3-one) and androstanediol (5 alpha androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol). The intratesticular steroid pattern in elderly men was essentially characterized by a decrease of the 5-ene steroid concentration, whereas we did not observe a decrease in the 4-ene steroids, progesterone concentration being even significantly higher in the aged testes. There was no evidence for a decrease in either lyase or 17-hydroxylase activity. It is suggested that the steroid pattern as observed in the aged testes is the consequence of a decreased oxygen supply, due to a decreased testicular perfusion.
D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone / Q000032:analysis; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000032:analysis; D015114:Androstenediol / Q000032:analysis; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000032:analysis; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000032:analysis; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000032:analysis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011284:Pregnenolone / Q000032:analysis; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012016:Reference Values; D013256:Steroids / Q000032:analysis*; D013737:Testis / Q000032:analysis*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis
D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D013256:Steroids; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; D006907:17-alpha-Hydroxypregnenolone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D011284:Pregnenolone; D015114:Androstenediol