Differential Effect of Hypophysectomy on the Synthesis of β3-Glucuronidase and Other Androgen-Inducible Enzymes in Mouse Kidney

The levels of several androgen responsive enzymes including β3-glucuronidase, alcohol dehydrogenase, D-amino acid oxidase and arginase, were compared in kidneys of normal and hypo-physectomized female mice after treatment with testosterone. While hypophysectomy did not alter the basal level of glucuronidase, the androgen-mediated accumulation of kidney β3-glucuronidase was greatly decreased in hypophysectomized mice. Measurements of the rate of synthesis of glucuroni-dase showed that after androgen treatment the enzyme was synthesized in kidney of hypophysec-tomized mice at only 5% the normal rate. Glucuroni-dase activity in seven other organs was not appreciably affected by treatment with androgens or by hypophysectomy. Unlike the effect of hypo-physectomy on kidney glucuronidase, there was no reduction in the accumulation of alcohol dehydro-genase or D-amino acid oxidase in kidney of hypo-physectomized mice after androgen treatment. Hypophysectomy caused a large reduction in kidney arginase activity. However, subsequent administration of testosterone restored much of this activity. It is concluded that there are at least two mechanisms by which androgens increase enzyme activity in kidney. The normal increase in activity or rate of synthesis of β3-glucuronidase following androgen administration requires pituitary hormones and/or products of these hormones, while the increase in activity of enzymes like alcohol dehydro-genase and D-amino acid oxidase does not require pituitary hormones. (Endocrinology100: 473, 1977)