ENDOCRINE FUNCTION OF THE PERIMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL OVARY

The concentration of sex steroids in peripheral and ovarian venous blo od was measured in 130 perimenopausal women. We found that the postmen opausal ovary continues to secrete a large amount of testosterone and a moderate amount of androstenedione, estrone, and dehydroepiandroster one. Although the mean estradiol levels in the ovarian vein of postmen opausal women was low, a few subjects showed estradiol levels higher t han 50 pg/ml. Postmenopausal ovaries probably continue to secrete estr adiol under some endocrine conditions. These data show that the postme nopausal ovary maintains some secretory function related to estrone an d estradiol. However, the endocrine effect of the postmenopausal ovary may be related to its contribution of androgens to the plasma pool of estrogens through extragonadal conversion.