METABOLISM OF 20β-HYDROXY-4-PREGNEN-3-ONE IN UTERINE TISSUE OF NON-PREGNANT RATS IN VITRO

In vitro experiments carried out with uterus preparations of ovariectomized adult rats indicate the presence in this tissue of a 20beta-hydroxy-steroid-oxidoreductase which catalyzes the conversion of 20beta-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one to progesterone. Since a hepatic 20beta-hydroxysteroid-oxidoreductase is absent in adult female rats, the myometrial enzyme can be responsible for the biological activity of 20beta-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one in these animals. Besides progesterone five metabolites were isolated and identified after incubation of [4-14C]20beta-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one with uterine tissue: 20beta-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-3-one, 20beta-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-3-one, 5alpha-pregnane-3alpha,20beta-diol, 4-pregnene-3alpha,20beta-diol and 4-pregnene-3beta,20beta-diol. The conversion of 20beta-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one to progesterone permits us to regard all five steroids isolated as progesterone metabolites in the rat uterus. 20beta-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-3-one is the first C21-metabolite with a 5beta(H)-configuration isolated in the rat uterus, which indicates the presence of 5beta-reductase in this tissue.