[A special estrogen-binding protein in the rat liver: the effect of nuclear accumulation of estradiol-receptor complexes in vitro].

The accumulation of [3H]estradiol-receptor complexes by liver nuclei after preliminary incubation of the hormone with rat liver cytosol was studied. It was demonstrated that addition to female rat liver cytosol of a purified preparation of the unusual estrogen-binding protein (UEBP) from male rat liver causes a dose-dependent inhibition of subsequent accumulation of specifically bound [3H]estradiol in the nuclei. Addition to male rat liver cytosol of 1.5 microM 2 alpha-hydroxytestosterone, testosterone, 1-dehydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, i. e. compounds possessing marked affinity for UEBP, resulted in a 2-5-fold increase of the subsequent nuclear accumulation of estrogen-receptor complexes. The use of UEBP-deficient female rat liver cytosol revealed that the afore-mentioned steroids are ineffective with respect to estrogen reception. It is concluded that UEBP of male rat liver is capable of modulating estrogen reception.