ETHANOL INDUCED INCREASE OF RATIO BETWEEN HYDROXY- AND KETOSTEROIDS IN HUMAN PREGNANCY PLASMA

Ethanol was given to three young women in the third trimester of pregnancy and the concentrations of plasma steroid sulfates were measured by gas chromatography. The ratios between the concentrations of 20α-hydroxy- and 20-ketosteroid monosulfates increased during ethanol metabolism. There was also a pronounced increase in the concentration of androst-5-ene-3β, 17β-diol monosulfate. Consistent changes were not found in the disulfate fraction. Acetylation of the steroid monosulfate fraction followed by solvolysis and mass spectrometric analysis showed that the steroid diols were present in plasma as 3-sulfates. It is suggested that the changes are due, directly or indirectly, to an increase of the NADH/NAD+ ratio in the liver during ethanol metabolism. © 1969.