•978 



SPERM, OVA, AND PREGNANCY 



crease in ketosteroid excretion during preg- 

 nancy is the result of increased output of 

 the stereoisomers of pregnanolone: 



Measurement of urinary glucocorticoids 

 by the glycogen deposition test showed an 

 initial increase in the first trimester of 

 pregnancy in the human being. After the 

 initial rise, the urinary excretion level re- 

 turned to normal with a second increase the 

 140th to 160th day of pregnancy. Values 

 of 200 to 300 /xg. equivalent of 17,hydroxy- 

 11-dehydrocorticosterone per 24 hours of 

 urine were obtained at days 200 to 240. In 

 most instances the urinary outj^ut fell sev- 

 eral weeks before parturition. 

 ' Analysis of the blood levels for 17a- 

 hydroxycorticosterone in the jiregnant wo- 



man confirmed the results obtained with 

 the urine (Gemzell, 1953; Seeman, Varan- 

 got, Guiguet and Cedard, 1955). Gemzell 

 ( 1953) reported a rise from approximately 

 5 /xg. per 100 ml. plasma to an average of 

 approximately 22 fxg. per cent (Fig. 16.16). 

 A further rise to 36 /xg. per cent was noted 

 at the time of labor. This has been con- 

 firmed by McKay, Assali and Henley 

 (1957) who found an average rise of ap- 

 proximately 40 /xg. per cent during labor 

 lasting more than 6 hours. Although Mc- 

 Kay, Assali and Henley reported values 

 still well above normal on the 4th to 6th 

 day postpartum, Gemzell (1953) reported 

 a drop to 1.99 /xg. per cent on the 6th day 

 postpartum. 



E 



o 

 o 



20- 



Portus 

 ©36t2,7 



(n=J7) 



to 



20 



Time, weeks 



JO 



AO 



Fig. 16.16. Correlation between the concentration of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in the 

 blood of pregnant women and the duration of pregnancy (in weeks). Conception at zero 

 time. (From C. A. Gemzell, J. Clin. Endocrinol.,13, 898, 1953.) 



