Metabolism of steroid hormones by Taenia solium and Taenia crassiceps cysticerci

Previous in vitro experiments showed that both, Taenia crassiceps and Taenia solium cysticerci have the ability to metabolize exogenous androstenedione to testosterone. Here we evaluate on the capacity of both cysticerci to synthesize several sex steroid hormones, using different hormonal precursors. Experiments using thin layer chromatography (TLC) showed that both cysticerci were able to produce H-3-hydroxyprogesterone, H-3-androstenedione and H-3-testosterone when H-3-progesterone was used as the precursor. They also synthesized H-3-androstenediol and H-3-testosterone when H-3-dehydroepiandrosterone was the precursor. In addition, both cysticerci interconverted H-3-estradiol and H-3-estrone. These results, strongly suggest the presence and activity of the Delta 4 and Delta 5 steroid pathway enzymes, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Delta(5-4) isomerase-like enzyme (3 beta-HSD), that converts androstenediol into testosterone; and the 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase that interconverts estradiol and estrone, in both types of cysticerci. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.