Progesterone secretion and metabolism in the human male and castrate female

Black, William P (1964) Progesterone secretion and metabolism in the human male and castrate female. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

A radio-isotope tracer technique for estimation of progesterone secretion rates is established and is proved specific accurate, and reproduceable. The theory of calculation of secretion rates is discussed and the validity of this aspect of the method confirmed. Normal male subjects and surgically castrate female subjects are studied after intravenous injection of 7H3-progesteone and significant differences in the metabolism of progesterone are noted. The normal males excrete significantly less total radioactivity in urine, significantly less radioactivity as urinary pregnanediol but significantly more radioactivity as peak X than do the surgically castrate females. The males excrete significantly rate urinary pregnanediol and have a significantly greater progesterone secretion rate than the castrate females. The progesterone secretion rate for the surgically castrate females is an estimation rate of progesterone by the intact female adrenal gland and is in vivo proof that the human female adrenal gland secretes progesterone in the normal steady state. A collaberative study estimates the volumes of distribution, metabolism rate constants and metabolic clearance rate of progesterone and pertinent aspects of this work are described and discussed. Mean plasma progesterone levels are calculated from the knowledge of the progesterone secretion rate and metabolic clearance rate and the level is shown to be higher in normal males than surgically castrate females. The total body content of progesterone is calculated from the knowledge of the mean plasma progesterone level and the final volume of distribution of the injected tracer dose of tritiated progesterone and the progesterone content of normal males is noted to be significantly greater than that of the surgically castrate females.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: Brian Little
• Keywords: Endocrinology
• Date of Award: 1964
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1964-72829
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• Last Modified: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72829