Endometrial tissue and plasma concentrations of 5-androstene-3 beta, 17 beta-diol during the menstrual cycle in normal premenopausal and perimenopausal women.
A radioimmunoassay for 5-androstene-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (ADIOL) in human endometrium and plasma is described. The recognised criteria of reliability have been fulfilled. Plasma and endometrial tissue concentrations of ADIOL were determined in samples obtained from normal premenopausal and perimenopausal women (average ages 37 and 48 years respectively) at different phases of the menstrual cycle. In perimenopausal women plasma concentrations of ADIOL did not vary throughout the cycle (proliferative phase: 411 +/- 95 (SEM) pg/ml; secretory phase: 462 +/- 28.5 (SEM) pg/ml). For the premenopausal group the pattern was similar (proliferative phase: 568.4 +/- 56.9 (SEM) pg/ml; secretory phase: 663.1 +/- 64.7 (SEM) pg/ml) although a significant difference (P less than 0.05) was noted between late proliferative and late secretory phase levels in these women. A different pattern was observed for endometrial tissue concentrations of ADIOL. In both groups of women a significant (3-4-fold) increase occurred during the secretory phase. There was no apparent relationship between plasma and tissue concentrations of ADIOL either during the proliferative or the secretory phase. There was, however, an age associated decrease for both tissue and plasma ADIOL. Theories are proposed to account for the increase in ADIOL concentration during the luteal phase.
D000328:Adult; D015114:Androstenediol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000734:Androstenediols / Q000378:metabolism*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004717:Endometrium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008598:Menstruation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
D000734:Androstenediols; D015114:Androstenediol