title: The content of four immunomodulatory steroids and major androgens in human semen.
abstract: Seminal fluid fulfils a dual role: it provides optimal conditions for fertilization and protects male germ cells from infections. Besides both major sexual hormones and cortisol it contains a considerable amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), known to counteract the excessive actions of glucocorticoids. From this point of view of importance may be our recent finding of both 7-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone epimers (7-OH-DHEA) in semen, believed to be in some instances the locally active immunoprotective agents. The concentrations of these steroids were of the same range or even higher than in blood. Here further data on 7-OH-DHEA in semen, along with other relevant steroid hormones, are given in 79 samples, either from healthy males or from patients with various sexual disorders. A method has been developed enabling us a simultaneous determination of DHEA, 7-OH-DHEA epimers, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and cortisol in seminal fluid. It was based on ether extraction, solvent partition and HPLC separation, followed by specific radioimmunoassays in the respective fractions. In addition, the steroids were measured in serum and the concentrations in both fluids were compared. The concentrations of 7-OH-DHEA in seminal fluid varied from 1.8 to 15.7 nmol/l, while those of DHEA were about five times higher.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology, Národni 8, 116 94 Praha 1, Czech Republic. rhampl@endo.cz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hampl
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pohanka
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Luboslav
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stárka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D013256:Steroids; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; C003587:7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone