Conversion of Pregnenolone to Progesterone by Primate Skin

Conclusion The experimental data presented in this investigation demonstrate that primate skin is capable of converting pregnenolone to progesterone. It also demonstrates that skin obtained from the head appears to metabolize pregnenolone somewhat differently than skin from other areas of the body. This phenomenon was observed previously by the author (5). The appearance of the two as yet unidentified metabolites, peaks 3 and 5 in Fig. 4, indicates that the skin obtained from the head is capable of metabolizing pregnenolone to metabolites other than progesterone. However, progesterone itself may have been hydroxylated, reduced, or fission by the side-chain may have occurred.