Oestrogenic action of compounds of the androsterone-testosterone series

In the case of twins of opposite the hormone in the placentas of male fetuses. sex, the placenta of the female only contained the male sex hormone. He believes that the male hormone is ut,ilized by the male fetus in intrauterine life, and therefore is absent in the placenta. In the cases of hydatiform mole no male hormone was demonstrable in the cystic masses found in the uterus. The urine of these patients contained large amounts of the hormone. From this fact the author concludes that there is no definite relationship between the amount of hormone found in the placenta and the amount excreted in the urine. He also found that the male sex hormone was present in the urine at the end of pregnancy only when a male child was to be born and never when the child was to be a’female. This is explained as follows : Although the placenta of a male fetus produces large amounts of the m.s.h., it quickly passes into the blood stream, because of the great reqmrements of the fetus, and is excreted in the urine. The female fetus does no’t require the hormone for its own use, so that it remains stored up in the placenta, and is not found in the blood stream or in the urine. The author believes that the sex of the unborn child can be determined in at least 80 per cent of the cases, for in that number a minimum of one cock unit of hormone is present in three liters of urine in the case of a male child, whereas none, or at least less than one cock comb growing unit, is present in a similar amount of urine in the case of a female E. S. AUER. Deanesly and Testosterone

Parkes: Series,

Oestrogenic Action of Compounds Brit. M. J. 1: 257, 1936.

of the

Androsterone-

Extracts of testis and male urine contain estrogenic substances of the estrone group. It is now recognized that substances similar in chemical nature to estrone may have some degree of estrogenic power. It has been possible to hydrogenate estrone, which itself shows no male hormone activity, to a substance having male hormone activity but no estrogenic power. The first male hormone obtained, androsterone, isolated from male urine was nonestrogenic by the vaginal cornification test and by a plumage test. Becently Butenandt and Kudszus reported that tranedehydroandrosterone, androstenedione, and testosterone cause opening of the vagina in the intact immature rat. Trans-dehydroandrosterone is present in male urine. Androstanediol increases the size of the uterus and vagina of the adult ovariectomized rat. It seems likely that the estrogenic action of testis and male urine extracts may be due to the presence of compounds exerting an estrogenic action, rather than the actual presence of estrone or some other purely estrogenic compound.

ISeguy,

J.:

Virilism

Among

Puberal

Women,

Gym%.

F. L’. ADAIR

AND

et obstet.

33:

S. A.

PEARL.

213, 1936.

Virilism in women is characterized by two groups of symptoms. First there is regression of secondary feminine sexual characteristics such as the disappearance o,f menstruation, atrophy of the breasts, and loss of fat in various parts of the body. On the other hand, secondary masculine sex characteristics appear. For example the clitoris enlarges, the voice becomes masculine and the general body contour changes. Virilism, therefore, consists essentially of changes in the secondary sex chara.cteristics without involvement of the primary sex organs. It is due to a disturbance in one or more glands of internal secretion. The chief type of ovarian disturbance which is responsible for virilism is arrhenoblastoma of the ovary. Virilism may also be caused by corticosuprarenal lesions, anterior hypophyseal disturbances and thyroid diseases. The treatment of virilism varies considerably. If a unilateral ovarian tumor is found it should be removed, likewise a tumor of the suprarenal gland. If x-ray Pictures’ demonstrate a tumor of the hypophysis this