EFFECTS OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY AND THYROXINE ON THE EXPRESSION OF HEPATIC ESTROGEN, HYDROXYSTEROID AND PHENOL SULFOTRANSFERASES

Sulphation in rats, and other mammals, is carried out by a family of sulphotransferase isoenzymes, which can be further subdivided into oestrogen, hydroxysteroid and phenol sulphotransferases. We have examined the effects of hypophysectomy on the activity and expression of representative members of the three major sulphotransferase sub-families in male Wistar rat liver cytosols, and have found that the different sub-families are subject to differential regulation by pituitary hormones. Our data show that in male rat liver hydroxysteroid sulphotransferases activity was increased, oestrogen sulphotransferases activity was not altered and phenol sulphotransferases activity was reduced. Further, we have studied the effect on sulphotransferase expression of administration of thyroxine and dexamethasone to hypophysectomized rats. Treatment of hypophysectomized rats with thyroxine virtually abolished oestrogen sulphotransferase activity in male rat liver but had no effect on hydroxysteroid sulphotransferase or phenol sulphotransferase activity. Treatment of hypophysectomized rats with dexamethasone had no effect on sulphotransferase activities. Quantitative immunoblot analysis of liver cytosols showed that these changes in enzyme activity were related to changes in levels of the respective enzyme proteins.