STUDIES ON ESTER SULPHATES

Abstract

A study of the capacity of 3 human adrenals and 1 adrenal adenoma to sulphurylate various steroids and phenol has been undertaken by the use of S35 labelled 3''-phosphoadenosine-5''-phos-phosulphate (PAPS) and inorganic sulphate. The following observations are described. Adrenal extracts are able to accumulate a S35 labelled compound with electrophoretic properties similar to those of 3''-phos-phoadenosine-5''-phosphosulphate (PAPS). Data on sulphokinase and over-all sulphurylating activities are given for the following compounds: androsterone, epiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA), aetio-cholan-3a-ol-17-one, testosterone, pregnan-3a-ol-20-one, pregnan-3[beta]-ol-20-one, pregn-5-en-3[beta]-ol-20-one, 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC), 17-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone, 11-dehydrocorticosterone, cortisone, corticosterone, cortisol, aldosterone, estrone, estriol and phenol. The distribution of the sulphokinases in the adrenal adenoma studied did not deviate significantly from that of the normal glands investigated. The over-all sulphurylating capacity of adult human adrenals with regard to steroids was 33-70% of the corresponding activities of adult human liver, and 14-27% of those of fetal human adrenals. The physiological implications of these results are discussed.