Metabolism of cortoic acids in man

Administrated radioactive tracers of beta-cortolic or beta-cortolonic acids are excreted mostly unchanged, without significant alteration of the molecule at C-11 or C-20; a minor amount of cleavage to C-20 etianic acids occurs. Evidence was obtained for possible noncovalent complexing of the steroid acids to macromolecular components present in the enzyme preparation for hydrolysis of the urinary glucuronides; this complex can be dissociated by acidification to pH 2, and the acidic metabolites can then be readily extracted. The findings suggest that beta-cortoic acids are essentially terminal metabolites in man.