Abstract
Activities of 4-ene-5α-reductase and the metabolism of progesterone were estimated in ovaries of guinea pigs, rats and golden hamsters. In the ovaries of 20–90-day old guinea pigs, the major C 21-17-hydroxysteroids and C 19-steroids formed from progesterone were 4-ene-3-ketosteroids, such as 17-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione and 4-androstene-3,17-dione, and 5α-C 21-17-hydroxysteroids and 5α-C 19-steroids were not produced. In contrast, the major steroids formed by the ovaries of immature rats and immature hamsters were 5α-steroids, such as 3α,17-dihydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one and androsterone, and no 4-ene-3-ketosteroids were found. The 5α-reductase activity (nmol/g tissue/h) in the ovaries of immature hamsters was approx 150 times higher than those in the ovaries of guinea pigs of different ages. In contrast to rats and hamsters, the ovaries of immature guinea pigs do not form a significant amount of 5α-androgens.
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