Glucosiduronidation and esterification of androsterone by human breast tumors in vitro

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0039-128X(81)90042-8

The metabolism of ³H-androsterone was studied in homogenates (fortified with uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid and andenosine 3'- phosphate 5'-phosphosulfate) of eighteen breast tumors, one muscle underlying the primary breast carcinoma and metastatic axillary lymph nodes from a patient with suspected primary breast cancer. The major metabolites identified were less polar than androsterone. On saponification these lipoidal derivatives afforded androsterone as the only product (3 to 48%). Unmetabolized androsterone and lesser quantities of epiandrosterone, 5α-andorstane-3α, 17β-diol and 5α-androstane-3,17-dione comprised the free steroid fraction. Androsterone glucosiduronate was isolated (0.17-4.1%) from eight breast tumor homogenates and fromthe node tissue incubation (17%). There was no apparent correlation between glucuronyltransferase activity and histolpathology or estrogen receptor content.