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Fresh scalp, genital, chest and axillary skin from human foetuses of 12–41 weeks' maturity was incubated in Krebs' improved Ringer I medium with [7-³H]dehydroepiandrosterone, [7-³H]testosterone and [7-³H]androstenedione. The metabolites identified were androstenedione, 5-androstane-3,17-dione, androsterone, 3-epiandrosterone, 5-dihydrotestosterone, 5-androstane-3,17β-diol, 5-androstane-3β,17β-diol, 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol and testosterone. The results provide evidence for the presence of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, ^4–5 isomerase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, ⁴-3-oxosteroid-5-reductase and 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in human foetal skin. There were quantitative differences in the various enzyme activities between different body sites and skin specimens of different gestational age. 5-Reductase activity was particularly high in genital skin. 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ^4–5 isomerase activity was low in skin from a 12-week foetus, but high in skin specimens from 28-, 38- and 41-week foetuses. 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was already high in the skin of the 12-week foetus and remained so in the older foetuses. These results were correlated with the development of the foetal sebaceous glands, and were in general agreement with a parallel enzyme histochemical study. The role of androgen metabolism in human foetal skin is discussed.

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				J. Simard, M.-L. Ricketts, S. Gingras, P. Soucy, F. A. Feltus, and M. H. Melner Molecular Biology of the 3{beta}-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase/{Delta}5-{Delta}4 Isomerase Gene Family Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2005; 26(4): 525 - 582. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]