The distribution of hydrocortisone‐14C, corticosterone‐14C, and deoxycorticosterone‐14C in pregnant mice

Abstract The distributions of the glucocorticoid hydrocortisone‐ 14 C and the mineralocorticoid deoxycorticosterone‐ 14 C were compared with that of the natural murine hormone corticosterone‐ 14 C by whole‐body autoradiography in pregnant A/J mice at 12.5 days of gestation. The patterns of distribution were similar for the three compounds. At 3 h after injection the highest concentrations of radioactivity were in maternal liver, bile, intestinal contents, kidney, and urine and uterine luminal fluid. Radioactivity in embryos was less than that in most maternal tissues. Embryonic brain had a slightly higher content and the embryonic palatal buds no higher amount of radioactivity than other embryonic tissues. The intense accumulation in the uterine lumen after all of the compounds suggests a secretory mechanism by the yolk sac that is not specific for a particular steroid.