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In vivo production of steroids with central depressant actions by the ovary of the rat
Author(s) -
HOLZBAUER MARGARETHE
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1971.tb07186.x
Subject(s) - pregnenolone , neuroactive steroid , endocrinology , medicine , ovary , depressant , pregnanolone , estrous cycle , venous blood , chemistry , hormone , pharmacology , steroid , receptor , gabaa receptor
Summary1 In addition to progesterone and 20‐dihydroprogesterone, the following unconjugated steroids were isolated from ovarian tissue and ovarian venous blood of mature, non‐pregnant rats: pregnenolone, 3βOH‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3αOH‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 20αOH‐5α‐pregnan‐3‐one and 5α‐pregnane‐3α, 20α‐diol. 2 Their concentration in the ovarian tissue and their secretion rates into the ovarian venous blood was of the same order of magnitude as that of progesterone. 3 In the evening of the day of pro‐oestrus significant increases in the ovarian contents of the following steroids were observed: progesterone,+ 140%; 3αOH‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, +320%; 20αOH‐5α‐pregnan‐3‐one, +195%; sum of pregnenolone and 3βOH‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, +275%. 4 At the same time the ovarian progesterone secretion rate was increased by 365%, that of 3αOH‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one by 190%. 5 A possible physiological role of the ovarian allopregnane derivatives as central depressant agents is discussed.