Testosterone metabolism by the chicken uropygial gland

Homogenates of chicken uropygial glands were incubated with testosterone-4-C 14 in a phosphate-buffer at 37°C for 24 hours. Three metabolic products of testosterone were identified by using preliminary thin layer chromatography, followed by gas chromatography of the free metabolites, their trimethylsilyl ethers, O-methyloxime derivatives and their double derivatives on one percent SE-30 and one percent NGS columns. The steroid metabolites were also identified by crystallization to constant specific activity. The metabolites identified were: 3α-hydroxy-5α-androstane-17-one; 5α-androstane-3, 17-dione, and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol.