Effect of hypophysectomy on estrogen conjugation and on plasma and tissue concentrations of tritium after administration of 3H-estradiol-17beta.

Estradiol-17beta-6,7-3H was injected into ovariectomized (control) and ovariectomized, hypophysectomized (hypox) rats in order to study the binding of estradiol in the brain. Hypophysectomy resulted in a significant increase in the concentration of tritium in the hypothalamus, and preoptic area, as well as cortex, muscle, plasma and liver. However, since the liver was lighter in hypox rats, the total tritium content in the liver was unchanged from controls. Part of the weight reduction in the liver was due to a loss of stainable glycogen, which took place within 24 hours of hypox. The increase in circulating tritiated estradiol after hypox led us to investigate hepatic metabolism of estradiol. In vitro studies on liver slices from control and hypox rats demonstrated a significant reduction in the formation of conjugates of estrogen. Specifically, estradiol glucuronide and estrone sulfate formation were reduced in hypox rats and conversely the unmetabolized estradiol concentration was higher. Hypophysectomy for 24 hours results in a significant decrease in hepatic metabolism of estradiol-17beta.