Steroids in Germfree and Conventional Rats: Steroid Monosulphates in Urine from Female Rats

Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry was used to identify steroids in the monosulphate fraction of urine from germfree and conventional, male and female rats. No steroid monosulphates were found in urine from male rats. Germfree rats had a total daily excretion of about 110 μg including the following steroids: 5α‐androstane‐3α,17β‐diol, 3α,11β‐dihydroxy‐5α‐androstan‐17‐one, 3α,7α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐androstan‐17‐one, 5α‐androstane‐3α,7α,17β‐triol, 3α,16α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α,15α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α‐ and 3β,17α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 5α‐pregnane‐3α,16α,20α‐triol, 11β,21‐dihydroxy‐5α‐pregnane‐3,20‐dione, 3α,11β,21‐tetrahydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α,15α,21‐trihydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐11,20‐dione and 3α, 11β,15α,21‐tetrahydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one. Conventional female rats excreted about 110 μg of monosulphurylated steroids in 24 h. This steroid fraction in conventional rats contained the same steriods as urine from germfree rats and in addition the following steroids were found: 3α,19‐dihydroxy‐5α‐androstan‐17‐one, 3α‐hydroxy‐5α,17α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α‐hydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α‐hydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α‐hydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one, 3α‐hydroxy‐5α‐pregn‐16‐en‐20‐one, 3α,19‐dihydroxy‐5α,17α‐pregnan‐20‐one and 3β,15α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐pregnan‐20‐one.