Deoxycorticosterone sulfate

From perfusion data, it is known that the midterm fetus converts progesterone to 20a-dihydroprogcsterone, 16a-hydroxyprogesterone, cortisol, and corticosterone (Solomon et al., 1964 Bird et al., 1966) and to corticosterone sulfate and deoxycorticosterone sulfate (Bird et al., 1965). Most of these reactions take place principally in the adrenal tissue (see Section III, D, 2 b, 3 b, and E, 2 b). 

Corticosteroid sulfates are also secreted from the fetus to the mother. In cord blood the concentrations of deoxycorticosterone-21-sulfate and of corticosterone-21-sulfate are many times greater than in maternal blood. [This ratio is five to ten times for deoxycorticosterone sulfate and 20 to 30 times for corticosterone sulfate (Schweitzer et al., 1969).] These authors also found two to five times more cortisol-2I-suIfate and 11-dehydro-corticoaterone-21-sulfate in cord blood than in peripheral maternal blood. This higher concentration of corticosteroid sulfate in cord blood than in maternal blood (Hillman and Giroud, 1965 Schweitzer el cU., 1969) is explained by the high suifokinase activity in the different fetal ti ues and by a weak sulfatasc activity for 21-cster sulfates in the placental compartment (Section III, D, 3, a). 

Decreases in serum cortisol levels in humans after a single oral dose of zinc sulfate may indicate adrenal cortical damage (Brandao-Neto et al. 1990a). A chronic-duration drinking water study in rats exposed to 70 mg/kg/day revealed hypertrophy and vacuolation of the zona fasciculata cells of the adrenal cortex (Aughey et al. 1977). Glucocorticoids (cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone) are secreted by cells in the zona fasciculata. It is not known if there is a relationship between the damage to the pancreatic islets and the hypertrophy of the zona fasciculata cells in the adrenal cortex. 

Sulfotransferases from tumoral and normal adrenals were shown capable of conjugating many steroids in vitro pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypreg-nenolone, corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, testosterone, as well as the adrenal androgens were readily sulfated (Gual et al., 1962 Cohn et al., 1963 Lebeau and Baulieu, 1963 Adams, 1964 Bostrom et al., 1964 Killinger and Solomon, 1965). Indirect evidence, obtained from isotopic dilution studies, pointed to a possible secretion of pregnenolone sulfate... 

Fig. 7. Transformations and conjugations of 21-hydToxypregnenolonc in the fetal and placental compartments. (1) The position of the sulfate ion is not definitively estiiblislied. DOC deoxycorticosterone.

Perfusion studies with labeled deoxycorticosterone into the fetoplacental unit through the umbilical vein have established that this hormone is efficiently metabolized in the fetal compartment, primarily to its 21-ester sulfate. 

Fig. S. Transformations and conjuRations of deoxycorticosterone in the fetal and placental compartments. (1) This tran ormation is very intense in the fetal liver (2) both of these pathways could be possible. 3 8,o(i-Tn-r)OC 3/S,5o-tetrahydrodeoxy-corticosteronc TH-IXHl tclrahydrodcoxyoorticosterone 20P-DJI-DOC 2Cp-dihydro-deoxycortico-stenme DOC deoxycorlicoateronc TH-DOC-8 Ictrahydrodeoxyeorti-cos(erone-21-sulfate DOC-21-S deoxycoTtieoslerone-21-sulfat. ...

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