Localization of androgenic metabolites in the brain of rats administered testosterone or dihydrotestosterone

Castrated adult male rats were administered ³H-testosterone or ³H-dihydrotestosterone and were sacrificed 30 min. later. Steroids were extracted from three brain samples: anterior hypothalamus, posterior hypothalamus and the remainder of the brain. Thin layer chromatography was used to separate the metabolites. Following ³H-testosterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione were found. Following ³H-DHT, DHT androstanediol and androstanedione were found. Acetylation of the dihydrotestosterone zone following DHT treatment revealed that the radioactivity rechromatographed primarily as DHT. The findings are related to the behavioral effects of DHT.