title: Sex hormone binding globulin in arterial, and in peripheral, hepatic, renal and spermatic venous blood of children and adults.
abstract: Human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was measured in arterial serum and in serum obtained from different venous territories. In 6 children, SHBG ranged from 44.4 +/- 4.8 (mean +/- SD) in arterial blood to 55.3 +/- 5.3 in the hepatic vein (P less than 0.01), while it did not change significantly in renal or peripheral tissue venous blood. In 6 male adults, no significant arteriovenous differences were found either in the peripheral tissues or in the splanchnic circulation. In the spermatic vein of 8 subjects, SHGB was significantly lower (17.1 +/- 5.7) than in the arterial blood (22.8 +/- 7.5), P less than 0.025. The arterio-venous difference found in the splanchnic circulation of children supports the hepatic origin of SHBG, and also suggests extra-hepatic clearance of the binding globulin. Testicular uptake of SHBG might be necessary to regulate delivery of androgens to Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001158:Arteries; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis*; D014680:Veins
chemical_list: D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin