The role of the gonads and the hypophysis in the regulation of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities in rat kidney.

With the exception of 3beta-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase all the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of adult male and female rat kidney show significant sex differences in their activities. Interference with the organisms endocrine balance (gonadectomy on day 25 of life, hypophysectomy on day 50, a combination of both these operations, administration of testosterone or oestradiol) demonstrates that the sexually differentiated enzyme activities may be classified as androgen or oestrogen dependent, the respective sex hormone acting either in an inductive or repressive manner. The criteria for androgen dependency (microsomal 3alpha- and 20beta-, cytoplasmic 17beta- and 20alpha- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) are the feminization of the enzyme activity in male animals after castration and the masculinization of the activity in male and female castrates as well as in normal female animals after administration of testosterone. This latter effect on normal females cannot be a testosterone mediated inhibition of ovarian function since ovariectomy has no effect. For 3alpha-, 20alpha-, and 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase the effects of hypophysectomy parallel those of gonadectomy. However, after hypophysectomy the activity of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase falls significantly below the gonadectomized level. The androgen effect on 3alpha and 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is independent of the hypophysis, whereas that of 17beta- and 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase is mediated by the hypophysis.