Metabolic Fate of 11-Hydroxyandrostenedione-C 14 in Human Subjects. ∗

Abstract

Summary

11-Hydroxyandrostenedione-C¹⁴ was administered I.V. to 8 human subjects: 2 normal males, 2 subjects with bile-fistulas, 3 females without and one female with cancer. The radioactivity was excreted in urine almost quantitatively within a very short period of time (8-12 hours). Only negligible amounts of radioactivity were found in the bile of the 2 subjects with bile-fistulas or in stools of all subjects. The unconjugated steroids were cleared from the plasma at 2 rates, a fast rate with a half-life of 30 minutes and a subsequent slower rate with a half-life of 80 minutes. The glucuronidate fraction of the plasma contained much higher levels of radioactivity than the unconjugated fraction within 15 minutes following the injection of the steroid and even more strikingly four hours following the administration of the radioactive steroid. The significance of these findings is discussed.