Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 25, 228-235, Copyright © 1984 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Bile salt sulfotransferase: alterations during maturation and non- inducibility during substrate ingestion
WF Balistreri, L Zimmer, FJ Suchy and KE Bove
Development of the capacity for hepatic biotransformation of potentially
toxic, endogenous compounds such as lithocholate may be dependent on
induction by substrate or hormonal modulation. Our aim was to observe the
ontogeny of hepatic sulfotransferase (ST) activity, a presumed
detoxification pathway, and to determine the effect of substrate ingestion
and cortisone administration on ST activity. Pregnant rats were fed a
standard chow diet containing lithocholate; the maternal diet was continued
during the suckling and weaning phase of the pups. Liver cytosol and serum
were obtained from dams and from pups at weekly intervals from fetal life
through 4 weeks of age. In controls, there was a progressive increase in
hepatic ST activity from 6.2 +/- 2.9 pmol/mg protein per min, (mean +/-
SEM) in fetal liver, 18.1 +/- 3.9 at 1 week, an 33.6 +/- 7.2 at 2 weeks to
a peak of 56.4 +/- 11.8 at 3 weeks of age. In female rats older than 4
weeks of age, ST activity in hepatic cytosol was threefold higher than in
males. There was a decline to adult levels (9.2 +/- 2.4 in males and 39.4
+/- 4.3 in females) at 56 days of life. Cortisone acetate administration
had no effect on enzyme activity in pups except those 3 weeks old or older
in which there was a precocious decrease in enzyme activity to adult
levels. The administration of lithocholate caused a dose-related postnatal
alteration of intrahepatic bile ducts manifest as cholangitis with ductular
proliferation; hepatocytes were spared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)