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Identification and Quantitation of Steroids in Sulfate Fractions from Plasma of Pregnant Chimpanzee, Orangutan, and Rhesus Monkey^*

Department of Physiological Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet S-104 01 Stockholm, Sweden
Primate Research Institute, New Mexico State University Holbman AFB, New Mexico 88330

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. J. Sjovall, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet, Box 60 400, S-104 01 Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

Steroids in the mono- and disulfate fractions from plasma of pregnant chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), orangutans (Pongopygmaeus), and a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatto) were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography on open tubular glass capillary columns. Whereas the average total concentrations were 4–5 times lower, 2.3-5.5 µmol x 1^–1 vs. 10.7–19.8 µmol x 1^–1, the pattern of steroid sulfates in the chimpanzees and orangutans were very similar to that previously found in pregnant women. Twenty one steroids were identified. The 3β-hydroxy-5-ene steroids were the same as in humans. Saturated pregnane derivatives were predominant and increased with time during pregnancy. Four isomers each of 3-hydroxypregnan-20-one and pregnane-3,20-diol were found, having 3,5, 3β,5β, 3,5β, and 3β,5 stereochemistry, respectively. The relative proportion of disulfates was slightly lower in the great apes (15–28% of the total steroid sulfates) than in humans (23–33%). The monosulfate of 5β-pregnane-3,20-diol constituted 12–14% of the total in chimpanzees and 3–4% in orangutans and humans. The monosulfate of 5-pregnane-3β,20-diol constituted 5–7% in chimpanzees and 11–16% in orangutans and humans, whereas the disulfate was relatively less abundant in the great apes, 4–8%, than in humans, 10–18%. Although difficult to quantitate accurately, the chromatograms indicated that the proportion of 3β,5β-isomers was higher in great apes than in women.

The presence of 5a-pregnane-3β,16,20-triol and 5-pregnane-3,20,21-triol indicated that hydroxylations of steroid sulfates in the great apes were similar to those in pregnant women.

The steroid sulfate pattern in the rhesus monkey was completely different, 3β-hydroxy-5-ene steroids constituting over 95% of the total. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was by far the predominant steroid, followed by the disulfates of 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol and 5-pregnene-3β,20-diol and the monosulfate of 5-androstene-3β,16,17β-triol.

The results are discussed in relation to previous knowledge of progesterone metabolism in different animal species. So far, great apes are the only species showing the same pattern of steroid sulfates in plasma as humans. (Endocrinology 114: 337, 1984)

Footnotes

^* This work was supported by Grant 03X-219 from the Swedish Medical Research Council and grants from the World Health Organization and Karolinska Institute.

¹Pregnanolone and pregnanediol are used as collective names for isomers of 3-hydroxypregnan-20-one and pregnane-3,20-diol, respectively. Pregnanetriol is used as a collective term for a pregnane carrying three hydroxyl groups.

Received June 27, 1983.

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