Sex hormone binding globulin in arterial, and in peripheral, hepatic, renal and spermatic venous blood of children and adults.
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.
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
D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin