CHARACTERISTICS OF STEROID METABOLISM IN MALE RATS AT STAGES OF EXPERIMENTAL LIVER METASTASIS

The aim of the study was to reveal characteristics of steroid metabolism in tumor, metastases, adrenal glands (AG) and blood serum (BS) in male rats in the course of liver metastasis, as well as diagnostic signs of metastases. Material and methods. The study included 44 white male rats weighing 180-250 g. S-45 sarcoma was transplanted intrasplenically. Estrone, estradiol, free testosterone, 17-OHP, cholesterol, cortisol (in tissues and BS), DHEAS (in tissues), DHEA and ACTH (in BS) were studied by the using standard test kits for ELISA and RIA. Results. We found that the pituitary gland does not participate in liver metastatic process (low ACTH in BS). AG are assumed to play a regulatory role of steroidogenesis in tissues. Characteristics of liver metastases that not re-metastasize - non-active metastases (NAM) are: decreased cortisol in the perifocal zone (PZ) and the less estrone increase in metastases. Characteristics of metastases that re-matastasize to lungs - active metastases (AM) are: increased cortisol in PZ and the greater estrone gain in metastases. Hypo-estradiolemia and hyper-testosteronemia were diagnostic criteria for the upcoming liver metastasis; hyper-estradiolemia along with the decline of free testosterone - signs of liver metastases; hyper-cortisolemia and hypercholesterolemia are for AM in experimental liver metastasis, hypo-cortisolemia and hypocholesterolemia are signs of NAM in the liver of male rats. Conclusion. Consequently, one of the detected pathogenetic mechanisms of liver metastasis is presented by deactivation of the central pituitary regulation of steroidogenesis with regulating function passed to AG which results in steroid imbalance with accumulation of estrone in metastases and multidirectional changes in cortisol levels in PZ and BS, depending on the activity of metastases.