Effects of sex hormones on enzymic esterification of 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)-fluorene by rat liver cytosol

Abstract

1. Enzymic esterifications of 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)fluorene and several other hydroxamic acids by liver cytosol were studied. Determination of 2-acetamido-3-methylthiofluorene was used for the assay. 2. With rat liver cytosol, requirement for ATP, Mg2+ and SO42− suggested formation of phosphate and sulphate esters of 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)fluorene. 3. Rats showed sex and age differences in their activity. Liver from adult male rat was at least twice as active as liver from adult female rat. No such sex differences were found in mice, hamsters and guinea pigs. 4. Administration of testosterone (300μg/day) subcutaneously for 8 days increased the activity in the female rat by 100%, whereas diethylstilboestrol (100μg/day) had no effect. In the male rat diethylstilboestrol treatment decreased the activity by 60%, whereas testosterone pretreatment was without any effect. 5. Among various endocrine ablations such as adrenalectomy, castration, adrenalectomy–castration and hypophysectomy in the adult male rat, hypophysectomy was found to be the most effective in decreasing the activity of the liver to about 50% of control values. 6. Like 2-(N-hydroxyacetamido)fluorene, various other N-hydroxy derivatives of 2-acetamido-7-fluorofluorene, 2-acetamidophenanthrene, 4-acetamidobiphenyl and 4-acetamidostilbene were also shown to be esterified to different extents by rat liver cytosol.