A comparative study of steroid concentrations in human adipose tissue and the peripheral circulation.
Using radioimmunological methods, levels of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, oestrogens (oestradiol + oestrone), progesterone and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone were determined in adipose tissue and peripheral blood obtained during surgical treatment of patients with non-endocrine diseases. The steroid content of human adipose tissue was observed to be extremely high relative to that in the general circulation, giving a tissue/serum ratio of 0.4 to 13.2. The concentration of steroids decreased in the following order: dehydroepiandrosterone greater than cortisol greater than androstenedione greater than progesterone greater than testosterone greater than 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone greater than oestradiol + oestrone. This sequence is different from that found in blood. When anthropometric variables were taken into consideration, the adipose tissue mass of severely obese subjects contained a steroid pool far greater than that in the total blood volume.
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000378:metabolism; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism
D004967:Estrogens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone