Steroid Transformations by Corpus Luteum Tissue¹

Studies have been initiated in this laboratory to investigate the steroid metabolic activity of ovarian tissue. A preliminary note of certain findings, i.e., the demonstration of 6β-hydroxylase and 20-hydrogenase activities, appeared earlier this year (Hayano et al., 1953). Following the incubation of progesterone and desoxycorticosterone (DOC) with beef corpus luteum homogenates, the isolation and identification of Δ4-pregnene- 20β-ol-3-one from the former, and Δ4-pregnene-20β,21-diol-3-one, and Δ4- pregnene-6β,21-diol-3,20-dione from the latter steroid, has now been completed. The first isolation of a 6β-hydroxylated steroid from mammalian sources was reported by Haines (1952) who obtained Δ4-pregnene-6β,21-diol-3,20- dione after incubation of a hog adrenal homogenate with DOC. Subsequent isolations have been reported by Zaffaroni2 after a similar incubation using a beef adrenal homogenate, and by Axelrod (in press) after perfusion of a rat liver with this precursor. Other 6β-hydroxylated steroids which have been isolated are: 6β-hydroxyprogesterone by Levy and Kushinsky3 after perfusion of progesterone through beef adrenals