Sulfation of endogenous compounds and xenobiotics--interactions and function in health and disease.

Sulfation is a major detoxication mechanism for endogenous compounds and xenobiotics performed by a family of sulfotransferase isoenzymes. Understanding the normal cellular functions of these different sulfotransferases and the way in which endogenous and exogenous factors are able to influence their activity and expression will provide us with the information necessary to develop novel therapeutic strategies for conditions where sulfation may be implicated. This concept is discussed and is illustrated by examples including adverse drug reactions, fetal development and cancer.

Sulfation of carcinogenic aromatic hydroxylamines and hydroxamic acids by rat and human sulfotransferases: substrate specificity, developmental aspects and sex differences.

Sulfation of the carcinogen N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-AAF) and structurally related hydroxamic acids by rat and human sulfotransferases was studied. There was a clear sex and age difference in the sulfation of N-OH-AAF and the other hydroxamic acids by rat liver cytosols; adult male rats had the highest sulfation activity. Experiments with purified aryl sulfotransferase IV (AST IV) indicated that the high expression of this enzyme in male rat liver may be responsible for these differences. No such sex or age difference was found for the sulfation of aromatic hydroxylamines. In cytosols of adult human livers, sulfation activity towards aromatic hydroxamic acids and hydroxylamines was clearly present, but activities were much lower than in rat liver cytosols. Sulfation activity towards these compounds was also found in fetal and neonatal liver and adrenals. These compounds probably are sulfated by several different sulfotransferases in humans.

Sulfation of aromatic hydroxamic acids and hydroxylamines by multiple forms of human liver sulfotransferases.

Sulfation activity towards various heterocyclic and homocyclic aromatic hydroxamic acids and hydroxylamines was determined in adult human liver cytosol and with partially purified human liver sulfotransferases (STs). In adult human liver cytosols comparable ST activities towards N-hydroxy-2-acetyl-amino-5-phenylpyridine (N-OH-2AAPP), N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (N-OH-4AABP) and N-hydroxy-4'fluoro-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (N-OH-4FAABP) were found, while the sulfation rates towards N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-OH-2AAF), N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminonaphthalene (N-OH-2AAN), N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminophenanthrene (N-OH-2AAP) and N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminostilbene (N-OH-4AAS) were two- to five-fold lower. In adult liver cytosol ST activity was found towards all hydroxylamines tested. No significant differences were found for the various hydroxylamines. In general, the ST activities towards the various hydroxamic acids and hydroxylamines were comparable to phenol ST activity using adult liver cytosols. Partial purification of adult human liver STs was achieved by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography followed by anion exchange FPLC. Two separated protein peaks showing both N-OH-2AAPP and N-OH-2APP ST activities were observed and were designated human hydroxylamine/hydroxamic acid sulfotransferase (hHST) 1 and 2. Immunoblot analysis using an anti-rat estrogen ST antibody demonstrated cross reactivity with both hHSTs at a subunit mol. wt of 32 kDa corresponding to the phenol-sulfating form of phenol ST (P-PST). ST activity towards dopamine was low with both hHSTs, but hHST1 also contained significant capacity to sulfate dehydroepiandrosterone. The highest ST activity towards N-OH-2AAPP and N-OH-2APP was measured at pH 5.5 with both hHSTs. The Km values of the two hHSTs for sulfation of N-OH-2AAPP and N-OH-2APP were comparable, while the Vmax values for sulfation of N-OH-2APP were higher than for N-OH-2AAP with both hHSTs. FPLC anion exchange analysis of human platelet STs demonstrated that sulfation of N-OH-4ABP and N-OH-4AABP was associated with P-PST rather than M-PST (platelets do not possess any significant DHEA ST activity). Our results show that the various hydroxamic acids and hydroxylamines are converted by at least two hHSTs. The results presented here for the human liver hydroxamic acid and hydroxylamine ST activities are discussed in relation to those observed in the rat.

Identification of a new adult human liver sulfotransferase with specificity for endogenous and xenobiotic estrogens.

We present evidence for the existence of a previously undescribed sulfotransferase isoenzyme in adult human liver which sulfates endogenous and xenobiotic estrogens (estrone and 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol). The enzyme was resolved from other sulfotransferases using anion exchange chromatography and further purified by gel filtration and affinity chromatography. Using antibodies against rat liver estrogen and hydroxysteroid sulfotransferases, it was shown that the adult human estrogen sulfotransferase has a subunit molecular weight of 33kDa, is immunologically related to its rat counterpart and also to the human phenolsulfotransferase enzyme family, but not to human hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase.

Common food additives are potent inhibitors of human liver 17 alpha-ethinyloestradiol and dopamine sulphotransferases.

Interactions between dietary xenobiotics, drugs and biologically active endogenous compounds are a potential source of idiosyncratic adverse pathology. We have examined the inhibition of the sulphation of a number of xenobiotics and endobiotics in human liver cytosol by 15 food additives and constituents. Sulphation of dehydroepiandrosterone was resistant to inhibition by all compounds tested; however, dopamine sulphotransferase (ST) activity was inhibited strongly by (+/-)-catechin, (+)-catechin, octyl gallate, tartrazine and vanillin. Sulphation of the xenobiotic steroid 17 alpha-ethinyloestradiol (EE2) was inhibited by vanillin, erythrosin B and octyl gallate. Of these compounds, only vanillin was found to be sulphated to a significant extent by both human liver and platelets, and vanillin was determined to be a substrate for the monoamine-sulphating isoenzyme of phenolsulphotransferase. Vanillin was found to inhibit 50% of liver EE2 ST activity (IC50) at a concentration of approximately 1.3 microM and the mode of inhibition was non-competitive. The implications of these results for the adverse side effects associated with food additives and oral contraceptives are discussed.

Inhibition of human liver steroid sulfotransferase activities by drugs: a novel mechanism of drug toxicity?

The inhibition of steroid and phenol sulfotransferase activities in human liver cytosol by a wide range of commonly used drugs was studied. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estrone sulfotransferase activities were strongly inhibited by a number of compounds, with IC50 values ranging between 440 pM and 147 microM. For DHEA sulfotransferase, clomiphene, testosterone, danazol and spironolactone were the best inhibitors, with IC50 values less than 5 microM, whereas for estrone sulfotransferase cyclizine, ibuprofen, chlorpheniramine and dimenhydrinate resulted in the strongest inhibition, again with IC50 values of less than 5 microM. The xenobiotic substrate 1-naphthol was refractory to substantial inhibition, with the exception of clomiphene. The majority of the drugs which inhibited steroid ST activities strongly were either synthetic steroids, antisteroidals or were tertiary amine drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants and antihistamines, many of which exhibit adverse side effects manifesting particularly as sexual dysfunction and disruption of hormone action in clinical use. The importance of these findings for our understanding of the molecular basis of adverse drug reactions is discussed.

Estrogen and phenol sulfotransferase activities in human fetal lung.

The sulfation of steroid hormones and xenobiotics by human fetal lung cytosol was examined. 1-Naphthol and estrone were extensively sulfated, whereas paracetamol and dehydroepiandrosterone were not good substrates for the pulmonary enzyme. Investigation of the thermostability and inhibition by 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP) of the 1-naphthol and estrone sulfotransferase (ST) activities revealed that the estrone ST activity was more thermolabile and more readily inhibited by DCNP than was the 1-naphthol ST activity. Anion exchange chromatography by FPLC resulted in the resolution of two 1-naphthol ST activities, with the estrone ST activity co-eluting with the more basic 1-naphthol ST activity. When human fetal lung cytosol was subjected to gel filtration FPLC, both the 1-naphthol and estrone ST activities had the same native molecular weight of 63,000 Da. this is the first demonstration of estrogen ST activity in human fetal lung. These results suggest that there are at least two forms of sulfotransferase in human fetal lung and that this tissue is capable of sulfating both xenobiotics and endogenous compounds.