Determination of Testosterone in Human Peripheral and Adrenal Venous Plasma

The plasma concentration of unconjugated testosterone has been determined by a double isotope-derivative assay (14C-testosterone, 3H-acetic anhydride) by a modification with thin-layer chromatography of the method of Hudson, Coghlan, Dulmanis, Wintour and Ekkel (1963). Values for peripheral venous plasma were: normal males (19–33 yr): mean 0.70 μg/100 ml (range 0.32–1.07); normal females (19–40 yr): mean 0.18 μg/100 ml (range 0.06–0.31); 5 adrenalectomized ovariectomized females: mean 0.08 μg/100 ml (range 0.01–0.17); an untreated patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: 0.59 μg/100 ml. In addition, samples obtained by catheterization of veins draining the left adrenal in women with idiopathic hirsutism were analyzed; in some the concentration of testosterone was significantly higher than that in simultaneously collected peripheral plasma. Preliminary observations have been made on the level of conjugated testosterone in plasma. These data show that testosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex and suggest that adrenal testosterone may be involved in the pathogenesis of some masculinizing syndromes.