title: Intratesticular unconjugated steroids in elderly men.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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