Metabolism of Progesterone-4-14C by Adrenal Tissue from a Patient with Cushing's Syndrome1,2

Minced adrenal tissue from a woman with Cushing's syndrome was incubated with progesterone-4-14C. After addition of carrier steroids and their reisolation by gradient elution partition chromatography and paper chromatography, radiochemical purity was established by repeated crystallization, derivative formation and countercurrent distribution. The following metabolic products were identified: Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione (2.3%),11β-hydroxy-Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione (0.3%), 17,21-dihydroxy-Δ4-pregnene-3,20-dione (1.2%), cortisol (2.5%), deoxycorticosterone (6.2%), 16αhydroxy-Δ4-pregnene-3,20-dione (24.8%), 2 unidentified compounds (18.1%) and unreacted progesterone (9.1%).