AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 248, Issue 6 639-G642, Copyright © 1985 by American Physiological Society
Androgens and estrogens affect hepatic bile acid sulfotransferase in male rats
R. B. Kirkpatrick, N. M. Wildermann and P. G. Killenberg
The effect of estrogens and androgens on hepatic glycolithocholate
sulfotransferase activity was studied in male rats. Significant increases
in specific activity were noted following treatment of rats for 21 days
with 17 beta-estradiol, 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol, and the nonsteroidal
estrogen agonists nafoxidine, tamoxifen, and diethylstilbestrol. Similar
treatment of male rats with 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, hydrocortisone,
norethindrone, and prolactin did not affect activity. To further assess the
effect of androgens, male rats were castrated. Glycolithocholate
sulfotransferase activity increased fivefold by 14 days after castration.
Treatment of castrated rats with 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone prevented the
increase and maintained activity at the level of sham-operated animals.
Castrated animals exhibited an additional increment in activity following
treatment with 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol: specific activity in these
animals rose to levels comparable with those measured in untreated female
rats. These data suggest endogenous androgens maximally suppress hepatic
glycolithocholate sulfotransferase activity in male rats. The data also
indicate that activity is stimulated by estrogenic compounds of varied
chemical structure and that stimulation is not solely due to suppression of
androgen release by the testes as a consequence of estrogen treatment.
