Corticosterone Sulfation by Livers of Normal and Hypertensive Rats¹

Abstract

The effect of high blood pressure on the rate of hepatic sulfation of corticosterone was investigated in vitro in experimentally prepared renal hypertensive male Wistar rats. Hypertension was induced by compression of the left renal parenchyma, followed later by contralateral nephrectomy. The level of systolic pressure in the operated rats was found to be significantly higher than the controls (p¼0.001). The in vitro capacity for the sulfation of corticosterone by livers from hypertensive rats was remarkably greater (2.4-fold) than that of livers from normal rats. Furthermore, 2 operated rats that did not become hypertensive gave results that were similar to normals. An oxygen atmosphere increased the total hepatic capacity for in vitro sulfation of corticosterone by 2.6-fold in both normal and hypertensive rats; however, the ratio of hypertensive/normal remained unchanged. No correlation was found between total hepatic capacity to sulfate corticosterone and the level of systolic pressure or the weight of the rat. (Endocrinology87: 723, 1970)