title: Human ovarian 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase activity: a comparison of normal and polycystic ovarian tissues.
abstract: Ovarian tissue and ovarian venous blood were obtained from women undergoing wedge resection, and ovarian tissue was obtained from normally menstruating women who had an oophorectomy for medical reasons. A morphological evaluation was made of the wedged tissue. 17 beta-Hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase levels were determined as the 17-ketoreductase (17-KR) and 17 beta-dehydrogenase activities in both normal and wedged tissue. Plasma androstenedione (A) and testosterone (T) levels were measured in the ovarian venous blood. Low, but measurable, 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase activity was found in the mitochondria, microsomes, and cytosol. With whole, cell-free homogenates, mean 17-KR activity was not significantly different in normal tissues and polycystic tissues; mean 17-KR activity of corpora lutea was significantly greater than that of the other tissues. Mean 17 beta-dehydrogenase activity was not significantly different from 17-KR activity in the tissues studied. Ovarian venous A levels were higher than the reported mean ovarian venous A levels of normal women with only one exception; approximately half of the ovarian venous T levels were higher than reported mean ovarian venous T levels of normal women. The morphology of the wedge sections did not correlate well with the biochemical data.
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D009243:NAD / Q000494:pharmacology; D009249:NADP / Q000494:pharmacology; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply / Q000201:enzymology*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014680:Veins
chemical_list: D009243:NAD; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D009249:NADP; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; C032690:3-alpha-(17-beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (NAD(+))