A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE DYNAMICS BY THE "URINARY" AND "BLOOD APPROACH" UNDER PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT The dynamic parameters of dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate metabolism have been determined following a single injection of [4-14C] dehydroepiandrosterone and [7α-3H] dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate into normal female subjects. The urinary secretion and production rates, the ϱDDS and ϱDSD conversion factors, the metabolic clearance rates, blood production rates and distribution volumes were calculated. Although the comparison between urinary and blood parameters of steroid dynamics suggested certain limitations of the methods used, they were found suitable for gaining information on dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate metabolism. A poor extra-adrenal conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone to the sulphate, small dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and large dehydroepiandrosterone distribution volumes or clearance patterns, and a possible correlation between the blood parameters of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and anthropomorphology of normal female subjects were found.