Book excerpt: Biochemistry of Androstenes

[DjAndarial]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/androsta-4-16-dien-3-one


Pheromones

2010, Vitamins & Hormones
Jan Havlicek, ... S. Craig Roberts

II Biochemistry of Androstenes

[First part of chapter]

The main 16-androstenes occurring in humans are 5α-androst-16-en-3-one (5α-androstenone), 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol (5α-androstenol), and 4,16-androstadien-3-one (androstadienone). Their metabolism has been extensively studied in pigs, in which they are produced in the Leydig cells in the testes from the precursor pregnenolone (Brooks and Pearson, 1986). In humans, it is thought that these compounds are produced in the adrenal glands and the ovary (Smals and Weusten, 1991) and that their metabolism follows a common steroidogenic pathway (Dufort et al., 2001); however, their detailed metabolism is far from understood. Androstenol has been detected in human urine (Brooksbank and Haslewood, 1961); androstenone (Claus and Alsing, 1976) and androstadienone (Brooksbank et al., 1972) occur in plasma and saliva (Bird and Gower, 1983).

The 16-androstenes are also found in the axillary region, a major source of human body odor (although they represent only a small proportion of the compounds found here