Effects of estrogens on the metabolism of acid mucopolysaccharides in rat aorta

Abstract

The effects of estrone, 2-methoxymethyl-17α-methylestradiol-3-methyl ether (P-5780) which is an anti-atherogenic lipid-shifting steroid, and testosterone propionate on the metabolism in vivo of aortic acid mucopolysaccharides (AMPS) in male Wistar rats were investigated. Results were compared with the effects of these compounds on costal cartilage and eyeball tissues. (1) The incorporation of sodium sulfate-S 35 into AMPS in costal cartilage was found to be more than the incorporation into aorta and eyeball. The specific activities in the aorta and eyeball were higher than in the cartilage. (2) In estrone-treated rats the specific activity of aortic AMPS was higher than those of cartilage and eyeball, while P-5780-treatment decreased the aortic AMPS level and incorporation into aortic AMPS without influencing the levels in cartilage and eyeball. Testesterone propionate had no effect on the aortic AMPS level but tended to decrease the incorporation into AMPS in the cartilage and eyeball. (3) In hypercholesterolemic rats the AMPS levels in the aorta and eyeball tended to decrease and incorporation into all connective tissues examined tended to decrease, while there was a significant increase in the specific activity of aortic AMPS. P-5780-treatment had no significant effect on the metabolism of AMPS in the aorta and other tissues of these treated animals. (4) On treatment with P-5780 the specific activity of perchloric acid soluble serum protein (glycoprotein) increased significantly but that of perchloric acid insoluble serum protein was unaffected. Estrone had no effect on the specific activities of either perchloric acid soluble or insoluble of serum protein.