Abstract
Summary
Ten different steroids were detected in the nonphenolic fraction of pregnant monkey urine. Of these 5β-pregnane-3α-20α-diol, androsterone, DHEA, etiocholanolone, 5β-pregnane-3α-ol,20-one, and 5α-pregnane-3β-ol,20-one were identified.
Corroborating evidence that these steroids represent urinary metabolites of progesterone was obtained by analyzing the urine of ovariectomized progesterone-treated rhesus. Both pregnant and injected animals excreted the same metabolites with the exception of one, which was present only in pregnant monkey urine.
The excretion of 8 of the 10 steroids increased during the last weeks of pregnancy; however, at no time did 5β-pregnane-3α, 20α-diol represent the major progesterone metabolite. Although the individual pregnanediol levels in eight monkeys were different, the peak value in each monkey was reached 72 to 24 hr before parturition (100 to 900 μg/24 hr), then decreased to trace or nondetectable amounts on the day of parturition, and remained low thereafter.
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