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3α, 3β and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in the cytoplasmic and microsomal fractions of human liver

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Research in Experimental Medicine

Summary

Optimized assay systems for the determination of cytoplasmic and microsomal 3α-, 3β-, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH) activities in human liver have been developed. Using these methods the activities of cytoplasmic 3α-, 17β-, and microsomal 3α- and 3β-HSDH were measured in cell fractions prepared from liver biopsies from 17 patients who showed no signs of endocrinologic disturbances. The means and standard deviations (SD) of these four activities (nmol/min/mg protein) were as follows: cytoplasmic 3α-HSDH, 1.03 ± 0.34; cytoplasmic 17β-HSDH, 0.365 ± 0.129; microsomal 3α-HSDH, 2.07 ± 1.16; microsomal 3β-HSDH, 8.95 ± 5.20. No dependence on sex or age was detected, but this may have been due to the heterogeneity of the sample material rather than a genuine absence of such correlations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Dermatology, University of Essen Medical School, Hufelandstr. 55, D-4300, Essen 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    E. Lang

  2. Institut of Physiological Chemistry, University of Essen Medical School, Hufelandstr. 55, D-4300, Essen 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    E. R. Lax & H. Schriefers

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  1. E. Lang
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  2. E. R. Lax
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  3. H. Schriefers
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Supported by a grant from the Forschungsamt des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen

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Lang, E., Lax, E.R. & Schriefers, H. 3α, 3β and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in the cytoplasmic and microsomal fractions of human liver. Res. Exp. Med. 186, 47–59 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851833

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01851833

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