Effects of seven different oestrogen sulphates on uterine growth and on progesterone receptor in the foetal uterus of guinea pig after administration to the mother.

Abstract

The biological effect of seven different oestrogen sulphates: oestrone-3-sulphate (E1-3-S), oestradiol-3-sulphate (E2-3-S), oestradiol-17-S), oestradiol-3,17-disulphate (E2 3,17-DS), oestriol-3-sulphate E3-3-S), oestriol-17-sulphate (E3-17-S), oestriol-3,16,17-trisulphate (E3-3,16,17-TS), was studied in the foetal uterus of guinea pig (55--65 days of gestation) after sc administration for 3 consecutive days of each sulphate to the mother. On day 4, two response parameters were investigated, the uterotrophic effect and the action on the progesterone receptor. The monosulphates at the C3 position of the oestrogens (E1-3-S, E2-3-S and E3-3-S) provoked an increase in uterine weight of 1.9--2.4 times in relation to the non-treated animals. These oestrogen sulphates also very significantly stimulated the number of progesterone specific binding sites, 7--10 times in relation to the non-treated animals. On the other hand, when the sulphate was at C17 of the oestrogens (E2-17-S, E3-17-S, E2-3-17-DS, E3-3,16,17-TS), very little or no effect on the foetal uterus was observed on the two parameters studied. It is concluded that oestrogen (oestrone, oestradiol, oestriol) sulphates in position C3 can be involved in the biological response to the hormone and it is suggested that the effect is carried out after the hydrolysis of the sulphate. On the other hand, sulphates in C17 are not hydrolysed and no significant biological effects were observed in the uterine growth or in the progesterone receptor.