Testosterone sulphate, its biosynthesis, metabolism, measurement, functions and properties

Metabolomics of Synovial Fluid and Infrapatellar Fat Pad in Patients with Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) and autoimmune-driven rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are inflammatory joint diseases with complex and insufficiently understood pathogeneses. Our objective was to characterize the metabolic fingerprints of synovial fluid (SF) and its adjacent infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) obtained during the same surgical operation from OA and RA knees. Non-targeted metabolite profiling was performed for 5 non-inflammatory trauma controls, 10 primary OA (pOA) patients, and 10 seropositive RA patients with high-resolution mass spectrometry-based techniques, and metabolites were matched with known metabolite identities. Groupwise differences in metabolic features were analyzed with the univariate Welch’s t-test and the multivariate linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Significant discrimination of metabolite profiles was discovered by LDA for both SF and IFP and by PCA for SF based on diagnosis. In addition to a few drug-derived substances, there were 16 and 13 identified metabolites with significant differences between the diagnoses in SF and IFP, respectively. The pathways downregulated in RA included androgen, bile acid, amino acid, and histamine metabolism, and those upregulated included biotin metabolism in pOA and purine metabolism in RA and pOA. The RA-induced downregulation of androgen and bile acid metabolism was observed for both SF and IFP. The levels of 11 lipid metabolites, mostly glycerophospholipids and fatty acid amides, were also altered by these inflammatory conditions. The identified metabolic pathways could be utilized in the future to deepen our understanding of the pathogeneses of OA and RA and to develop not only biomarkers for their early diagnosis but also therapeutic targets.

Development and evaluation of a candidate reference measurement procedure for the determination of testosterone in human serum using isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A candidate reference measurement procedure for total testosterone in human serum involving isotope dilution (ID) coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has been developed and critically evaluated. The endogenous testosterone and its internal standard (testosterone-d (3)) were extracted from the serum matrix using a combination of solid-phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction prior to reversed-phase LC/MS/MS. Accuracy of the measurements was evaluated by a recovery study using testosterone-spiked serum. The recovery of the added testosterone ranged from 100.0 to 100.3%. This method was applied to the determination of testosterone in frozen serum samples from three individual donors (one female and two males) with the testosterone concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 8.5 ng g(-1). Repeatability with within-set coefficients of variation (CVs) from 0.1 to 1.0% and intermediate precision with between-set CVs from 0.1 to 0.5% for both female and male serum materials were demonstrated. Excellent linearity was obtained for all linear regression lines. The detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 3 was 2 pg of testosterone in serum. Structural analogs as well as testosterone metabolites were tested and found to not interfere with the measurement of testosterone. This well-characterized LC/MS/MS method for serum testosterone, which demonstrates good accuracy and precision, and low susceptibility to interferences, qualifies as a reference measurement procedure that can be used to provide an accuracy base to which routine methods for testosterone can be compared and that will serve as a standard of higher order for measurement traceability.

Long-term administration of testosterone enanthate to normal men: alterations of the urinary profile of androgen metabolites potentially useful for detection of testosterone misuse in sport

Doses equivalent to 18, 72 and 216 mg testosterone (T)/week were administered for 6 months to eugonadal men. Urinary excretions of androgen glucuronides (G) were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with stable isotope dilution during periods of control (without hormone treatment), T administration and recovery. The lowest dosage T administration did not affect the androgen profile, while higher dosages generally increased urinary excretions of T metabolites (TG, T sulfate, glucuronides of androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5 alpha- and 5 beta-androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol) and decreased excretions of conjugates of epitestosterone (ET) and its precursor androgen 5-androstene-3 beta,17 alpha-diol. A dose-dependent decrease of urinary LH in response to T was also observed. The ratio (T/ET)G, which is the sole official criterium for assessment of T self-administration by athletes, increased above the threshold value of 6 in most of the subjects, but not all, after the two highest dosage T regimens, and returned to normal during the recovery period. False positive or negative testing emphasizes the need for improvement of testing procedures. In this regard, valuable complementary information may be gained from ratios such as TG/ET(Total), TG/LH, (T/5-androstene-3 beta,17 alpha-diol)G, (5 alpha/5 beta)androstane-3 alpha,17 alpha-diol and (5 alpha/5 beta)androstane-3 alpha,17 beta-diol.

Secretion by the human testis of epitestosterone, with its sulfoconjugate and precursor androgen 5-androstene-3 beta,17 alpha-diol

Epitestosterone (ET) and testosterone (T), free and sulfoconjugated, as well as 5-androstene-3 beta,17 alpha-diol (5AD3 beta 17 alpha) and its 17 beta-epimer have been analyzed, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with stable isotope dilution, in peripheral and spermatic venous plasma of patients with left varicocele. All these androgens are secreted by the testis as evidenced by the significant concentration gradients between peripheral and spermatic venous plasma. Half of the daily ET production is ascribed to the testis, while 95% of T sulfate and roughly 70% of ET sulfate are also of testicular origin. Significant correlations between ET and 5AD3 beta 17 alpha are an indication that the 5-ene pathway is also operative for ET biosynthesis. High ratios of spermatic to peripheral venous plasma levels of ET and 5AD3 beta 17 alpha are also related to the high clearance rates of 17 alpha-hydroxy-androgens.

Identification of testosterone sulfate in the plasma of the male lizard Tiliqua rugosa

Plasma (solvolyzed and unsolvolyzed) from the male lizard Tiliqua rugosa was analyzed using gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectroscopy. HPLC with electrochemical detection was also used to characterize ketosteroid conjugates. Testosterone was identified in the solvolyzed plasma extract, and a compound corresponding to testosterone sulfate was detected in unsolvolyzed extracts. Concentrations were approximately 500 nmol/liter in intact male plasma, less than 100 nmol/liter in castrates, and undetectable in female plasma. Steroid glucuronides appeared to be absent from plasma. Epitestosterone conjugates were not detected, although the free steroid is found in high concentrations in T. rugosa. The presence of testosterone sulfate in the blood of T. rugosa may indicate a possible role for sulfoconjugates in controlling the availability of biologically active androgens.

Effects of ethanol on the levels of unconjugated and conjugated androgens and estrogens in plasma of men

The concentrations in plasma of estradiol, estrone, testosterone and 4-androstene-3,17-dione and their monosulphates and glucuronides were determined after oral administration of 0.3 g ethanol per kg body weight to four men. The levels of the unconjugated steroids did not change in a consistent way. In contrast, the concentrations of estradiol monosulphate and estradiol glucuronide increased markedly. The increase paralleled the blood alcohol concentrations and control levels were reached 3 h after the ethanol intake. A coupling of ethanol oxidation with reduction of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate has previously been established, and it is suggested that the ethanol-induced change of the hepatic redox level affects the interconversion of conjugated forms of estradiol and estrone resulting in elevated levels of conjugated estradiol. This could have a feminizing effect and affect the feed-back regulation of gonadal hormone production.

Steroids inhibit activation of the alternative-amplification pathway of complement

Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of methylprednisolone sodium succinate to inhibit complement activation. Two other glucocorticosteroids and three different soluble steroids which lacked glucocorticoid activity were found in the present study to have the capacity to inhibit lysis of sheep erythrocytes by the alternative-amplification pathway. These compounds also inhibited fluid-phase consumption of B in a reaction mixture that contained purified C3b, B, and D, indicating that they exert a direct effect on the generation of alternative amplification pathway convertase. These findings suggest that the capacity to inhibit convertase generation by glucocorticosteroids in high concentration is independent of glucocorticoid activity.

Synthetic and endogenous testosterone conjugates: acid hydrolysis studied by radioimmunoassay

The acid hydrolysis of synthetic testosterone sulphate and glucuronide by sulphuric acid has been studied by measuring the release of uncojugated testosterone by radioimmunoassay. The sulphate was hydrolyzed at lower concentration of acid but no conditions were found where only the sulphate was completely hydrolyzed without any hydrolysis of the glucuronide. Results of similar studies on human urine, however, suggested that human urine contains three conjugates of testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone: the sulphate and glucuronide and also a very acid labile conjugate hitherto unknown. Hydrochloric acid has stronger hydrolyzing effect at the same normality and released more unconjugated testosterone in urine at the same pH than did sulphuric acid. A complete hydrolysis of urinary conjugates in 3 molar sulphuric acid was accomplished without destruction of immunoassayable testosterone and constitutes a suitable method for the determination of the total testosterone content in urine. The method was compared with other hydrolyzing methods by measuring the testosterone release from urinary conjugates after their extraction and separation by by thin-layer chromatography.

A radioimmuno-chromatographic scanning method for the analysis of testosterone conjugates in urine and serum

A method for the analysis of testosterone (and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone) conjugates in human serum and urine samples is described. The samples were grought to pH 1 and extracted with a diethyl ether-methanol mixture. After evaporation the residues were run in a thin-layer chromatography system, individual samples' paths were cut into 1-cm long pieces and eluted with methanol. The methanol was evaporated and the residue subjected to acid hydrolysis. The released steroid was extracted by diethyl ether and measured by radioimmunoassay. The methodology described represents a new approach to the qualitative and quantitative study of steroid conjugates in serum and urine, and can easily be applied to the study of steroid conjugates in other biological mateiral.