Abstract

The effects of chronic treatment with thyroxine (T4) and estradiol on hepatic microsomal metabolism of estrogens to catechol products were studied and the extent to which activity in vitro correlated with serum estradiol concentrations in vivo was assessed. Female rats were treated with either estradiol benzoate (EB; 56 micrograms/kg/day from silastic implants), T4 (50 micrograms/kg/day, s.c.) or combined EB + T4 for 35 days. Animals treated with EB + T4, but not T4 alone, showed a significant increase above controls both in the concentration of triiodothyronine in serum and food consumption. Serum concentrations of endogenous estradiol in untreated control and T4-treated animals were similar. Although both EB-treated groups received comparable doses of steroid from silastic implants, the concentration of estradiol in serum was 30% lower in EB + T4-treated animals than in animals treated with EB alone. Formation of catechol estrogen metabolites by hepatic microsomes was not significantly altered by EB and T4 administered separately, but enzyme activity was increased significantly with combined hormonal therapy. In contrast, microsomal hydroxylation of testosterone was not increased by treatment with EB + T4, data which suggest that total steroid hydroxylase activity was not enhanced by combined hormonal administration. Correlation analysis of microsomal catechol estrogen formation in vitro with serum concentrations of estradiol in vivo indicated related to the concentration of estrogen in serum only after coadministration of a low dose of T4 with EB.