Metabolism of 3H-11-deoxycorticosterone and 4-14C-11 beta-hydroxyprogesterone by rat adrenal preparations.

Abstract

When equimoles of 4-14C-11β-hydroxyprogesterone and 1,2-3H-11-deoxycorticosterone are incubated with rat adrenal quarters for 3 h, they are incorporated to the same extent into corticosterone or aldosterone. The addition of an NADPH-generating system increases the incorporation of 3H-11-deoxycorticosterone by twofold, and that of 11β-hydroxyprogesterone by 1.6-fold. In a dilute homogenate supplemented with NADPH, only 3H-11-deoxycorticosterone was utilized as precursor of these steroids. These studies demonstrate the capacity of rat adrenal sections to hydroxylate 11β-hydroxyprogesterone to corticosterone. The fact that a dilute homogenate does not utilize 11β-hydroxyprogesterone is related to the inhibition or inactivation of 21-hydroxylase activity.