Androgen and 19-norsteroid profiles in human preovulatory follicles from stimulated cycles: an isotope dilution-mass spectrometric study.
Follicular fluid was aspirated from preovulatory follicles of women under ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization and analyzed by a highly specific technique based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry associated with stable isotope dilution. 19-Nortestosterone and 19-norandrostenedione were identified and quantified for the first time in human follicular fluid. There was a strong positive correlation between 19-nortestosterone and estradiol-17 beta and between 19-norandrostenedione and estrone concentrations, thus indicating a common cellular origin. The accumulation of 19-norsteroids in follicular fluid confirms that they are weakly active intermediates in the multistep enzymatic conversion of androgen to estrogen. Testosterone concentrations were significantly lower than those obtained by radioimmunoassay; cross-reaction with substantially higher levels of 19-nortestosterone seems to be at the origin of this discrepancy. Androstenedione concentrations were similar to those reported in the literature and it was therefore confirmed that an estradiol/androstenedione concentration ratio above 20 is favourable for oocyte cleavage. Other and some newly estimated androgens are: testosterone sulfate, 5-androstene-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 3-sulfate and disulfate, dihydrotestosterone sulfate, epitestosterone, 19-hydroxyandrostenedione, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol, 5 alpha-androstane-3,17-dione and androsterone. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was by far the most abundant androgen in this type of follicles.
D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D004970:Estrone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010060:Ovulation
D000728:Androgens; D004970:Estrone; D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol; D009277:Nandrolone; C002828:19-norandrostenedione