The peripheral venous plasma concentrations of pregnenolone (Δ5-P), 17-hydroxypregnenolone (Δ5-17-OHP), progesterone (P), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), and cortisol were measured in 5 normal men during a 3-hour infusion of ACTH. The concentrations of Δ5-P, Δ5-17-OHP reached levels 4 to 6 times those of control samples, whereas progesterone, 17-OHP, and cortisol concentrations had only doubled. We propose that ACTH causes preferential stimulation of the Δ5 pathway for cortisol biosynthesis.
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Bermúdez et al. (1972) studied this question.