DIFFERENCES IN METABOLISM OF REICHSTEIN'S SUBSTANCE S IN NORMAL ADULTS AND CHILDREN 1

The excretion of "corticoids " in the urine of human subj ects remains relatively constant throughout life, when referred to body surface area. The excretion of 17-ketosteroids in the urine, however, progressivly rises during adoles-cence (1). In the adolescent male, increased 17-ketosteroid excretion is in part attributable to developing testicular function. It is believed that in both sexes increased adrenocortical secretion at puberty is also responsible, although the exact nature of the alteration which occurs is unknown. Talbot, Zygmuntowicz, Wood, and Christo have suggested that a "second " adrenocorticotropic hormone, specifically responsible for the stimulation of 17-ketosteroid production, appears during this era of human life (1). The increased pubertal excretion of 17-keto-steroids derived from the adrenal cortex may also reflect altered extra-adrenal metabolism of ster-oids. Certain of the C-21 adrenocortical steroids are known to be degraded to 17-ketosteroids in the body. The greater quantities of urinary 17-ketosteroids appearing with the attainment of maturity might then arise from increased conver-sion of C-21 steroids to such metabolites. In or-der to test this hypothesis, A4-pregnene-17a,21-diol,3,20-dione (hereafter designated as Substance S) was administered by various routes to children and adults, and the excretion of 17-ketosteroids and other metabolites was measured. One of the major urinary metabolites of this compound is the 17-ketosteroid, etiocholanolone (2)