Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Secretion of Progesterone by the Adrenal Gland

Nature volume 180, pages 1480–1481 (1957)Cite this article

Abstract

THE importance of progesterone in adrenal function has been emphasized by a number of investigators. Beall and Reichstein1 isolated a small amount from adrenal extracts, and more recently Hechter and others2, using the perfused cow adrenal gland, showed that progesterone is an important intermediary metabolite for the synthesis of the adrenal corticoids. While the work reported here was in progress, Klopper et al. 3 demonstrated the presence of pregnanediol in the urine of ovariectomized women, but not in that of ovariectomized, adrenalectomized women. These, and other workers4, have inferred that the pregnanediol in these cases is of adrenal origin. The following results support this conclusion inasmuch as they show that the adrenal gland can secrete progesterone.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beall, D., and Reichstein, T., Nature, 142, 479 (1938).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hechter, O., Zaffaroni, A., Jacobsen, R. P., Levy, H., Jeanloz, R. M., Schenker, V., and Pincus, G., Recent Progr. Hormone Res., 6, 215 (1951).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Klopper, A., Strong, J. A., and Cook, L. R., J. Endocrin., 15, 180 (1957).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bergstrand, C. G., and Gemzell, C. A., J. Clin. Endocrin., 17, 870 (1957).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Short, R. V., Ciba Foundation Colloquia on Endocrinology, 11 (in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge,

    W. E. BALFOUR & R. S. COMLINE

  2. A.R.C. Unit of Reproductive Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Cambridge,

    R. V. SHORT

Authors
  1. W. E. BALFOUR
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. S. COMLINE
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. V. SHORT
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BALFOUR, W., COMLINE, R. & SHORT, R. Secretion of Progesterone by the Adrenal Gland. Nature 180, 1480–1481 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1801480a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1801480a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing