Plasma production rates of testosterone in normal adult men and women and in patients with the syndrome of feminizing testes.

Abstract

The daily plasma productionrate of testosterone was measured in normal men and women and in 2 patients with the complete form of the syndrome of feminizing testes from the product of the metabolic clearance rate of testosterone in plasma as determined following a single injection of the tritiated hormone, and the mean plasma nonisotopic concentration of the steroid. The latter values were obtained from the mean of plasma testosterone levels obtained at 9 am, 5 pm and 10 pm. A significant diurnal variation was found in the normal men but not in the normal women. The mean plasma concentration of testosterone in these subjects was 0.52 and 0.06 μg/100 ml, respectively. The metabolic clearance rates in the normal men (1670–2084 I/day) were approximately twice those obtained in normal female subjects (708–759 I/day). The difference appeared to be due primarily to a larger inner pool volume (V,) (Vs where K2 = 0) in the males. The plasma production rates of testosterone were 10.8, 6.8, 10.0 and 6.7 mg/day in ma...