Hwang had performed a study to observe the antagonistic action of cholesterol-3-methylether (CME) against steroid metabolism through examination of the adrenocortical function and urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroid. Author has further attempted to explain the metabolic antagonistic: action thoroughly by the following experiments.
1) The influence of total cholesterol in serum after administration of CME to rabbits;
Total lipoprotein-cholesterol in serum by injection of CME to rabbits was increased more than normal range by Nury´s method, but total cholesterol in serum was decreased by Carr´s method;
In rabbits administrated cholesterol, total cholesterol in serum was increased by the above two methods.
C14 counted in total cholesterol fraction- in serum after injection of cholesterol-4-C14-3-methylether to rabbits.
The amount of cholesterol in urine after injection of CME to rabbits is found a little. 2) The influence on the adrenocortical function after administration of CME to rabbits;
In rabbits injected cholesterol, the adrenocortical function was accentulated ´considerably as would be expected, but with´ CME, there was depressed by Thorn test.
3) The influence of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid in plasma and urine after administration of CME to rabbits; 17-hydroxycorticosteroid which was measured -by Silber & Porter method ;decreased less than normal range in urine after injection of CME to rabbits.
4) The, influence, of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid in plasma and urine after administration: of CME to normal persons;
17-hydroxycorticosteroid decreased in plasma and increased in urine after injection of CME to normal person agrees with the results. Obtained from the rabbit experiment;
As it has been pointed out above, After injection of cholesterol to rabbits serum total cholesterol shows marked increase, on the contrary after injection of CME serum total cholesterol decreases.
According to the trace examination with C14, the slight stagnation in, of CME and other 3 methoxy-steroid became apparent. However, there were no change. in the uninary excretion of cholesterol.
Since the adrenocortical function is accenturated after injection of cholesterol and depressed after injection of CME, we can easily, imagine that blood normal _ chemocotticoid will I be decrease ~ fand 3-methoxy corticoid will be increased.
In fact, chemocorticoid increases obviously after injection of cholesterol, on the contrary it shows the decrease after injection of CME.
Apparently we feel that 3-methoxycorticoid is also included among this. We think that normal 17-hydroxycorticoid must have been decreased.
The decrease of 17-hydroxycorticoid. after injection of CME is observed in human body as well. In spite of the decrease in serum, urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticoid after injection of CME has markedly increased.
Such findings seem to convince the increase of 3-methoxy-17-hydroxycorticoid in compare with the picture after injection of cholesterol, and following conclusions are obtained, namely CME is excreted little in urine and partly takes the form of chemocorticoid in serum Normal corticoid is replaced by such chemocorticoid and. excreted by urine. As the result of these, the function of the adrenal cortex has been considered depressed.
In Conclusion; through an experimental administration of CME to normal persons as well as an animal, it can be stated that CME has an antagonistic action on steroid metabolism.
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