STEROID HORMONES 



of minute amounts of active hormone to the vaginal epithelium has 

 been demonstrated. That these catalytic amounts of hormone cause 

 a remarkable spurt of mitoses in the epithelial cells is also well known; 

 but the means by which the hormones induce this growth have not 

 been elucidated. In the case of the uterus, where parallel growth 

 transformations occur, there has been some indication that the follicu- 

 loids cause a vasodilation of the uterine vessels which is followed by 

 an influx of water into the uterine tissues. Similar large water reten- 

 tion occurs in the sexual skin of the pig-tailed monkey. Is this ab- 

 sorption of water accompanied by an intake of growth-promoting 

 substances from the blood? Or is the foUiculoid directly a growth 

 promoting factor? Our fragmentary knowledge of the biochemical 

 processes underlying end-organ responses to the steroid sex hormones 

 debars an answer to even such simple questions. In their recent 

 review on the influence of hormones on enzymic reactions, Jensen and 

 Tenenbaum (4) have a section entitled "Sex Hormones," in which 

 they state: "Estrogens and androgens no doubt aff'ect metabolism 

 either directly in the tissues or indirectly by stimulating or inhibiting 

 the rate of secretion of other endocrine organs. In vitro studies on the 

 eff"ect of this group of endocrine principles on a given enzyme system 

 have as yet not been reported." 



The adrenal cortex steroids which on administration to animals 

 induce gluconeogenesis from protein and suppress the utilization of 

 glucose would seem to off"er material for elucidating the role of such 

 steroids in cellular processes. But the few attempts to define the role 

 of these steroids in carbohydrate metabolism have led to apparently 

 conflicting results. Evidence has been presented that adrenal cortex 

 extract inhibits glycogen breakdown and that it also speeds glycogen 

 synthesis in the rat liver. Certainly the adrenalectomized animal has 

 little or no liver glycogen. Glycogen synthesis from pyruvate and 

 ^-lactate by liver slices is increased on addition of adrenal cortex 

 extract, but there is no increased synthesis from d',/-alanine or </-gluta- 

 mate. Kidney slices from adrenalectomized animals show decreased 

 formation of carbohydrate from a',/-alanine and no reduction in syn- 

 thesis from pyruvate. The implication is that adrenocortical hor- 

 mones affect carbohydrate synthesis in liver and kidney in diametri- 

 cally opposite ways. What is requisite is not only further data and 

 accurate checking, but a direct attack on the enzyme systems inxoKed. 



