Influence of Gonads on the Sulfurylation of 11-Deoxycorticosterone and Corticosterone by Rat Liver Cytosol

Abstract

When incubated in the presence of ATP, the cytosol fraction of rat liver, kidney, and gut homogenate is capable of sulfurylating 11-deoxycorticosterone, the extent of sulfurylation by liver cytosol being three to four times more efficient in the female than in the male. This sex-linked difference in liver sulfokinase activity is further demonstrated by the finding that sulfurylation of corticosterone is decreased by ovariectomy and brought back to the level observed in normal females by injection of 17β-estradiol (at the daily dose of 6 μg/100 g body weight) to castrated females; this effect is increased by orchidectomy and further enhanced by the administration of the same dose of 17β-estradiol to orchidectomized rats.