Further studies on the developmental changes in adrenal secretion: pattern of the plasma levels of pregnenolone sulfate (PS)

Abstract

PS is an adrenal steroid secreted in large amount as does dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS). The aim of this work was to document if PS shows a different pattern with age as does DHAS and if their chronological changes are parallel. PS was measured in 300 normal subjects ; results are given in μg/d1 ± SD. No sex difference was seen at any age. At birth cord levels (108 ± 50) and peripheral levels (87 ± 41), significantly different from each other, were the highest observed in life. PS decreased slowly then more rapidly from 1-6 months (25.8 ± 1.6) to 6-12 months (4 ± 2.7) respectively. Low levels (1.6 ± 0.9) seen at 1 to 9 yrs did not change until age 10, when PS increased progressively, but only 5 fold, until adulthood (7.8 ± 3.4). Thus 1) levels of PS are 10 to 14 higher in newborns than in adults while those of DHAS are similar ; 2) PS decreases less rapidly than DHAS during infancy. 3) PS does not rise abruptly as does DHAS at age 7 ; we conclude that PS is not involved in the secretory changes characteristic of the adrenarche.