The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17βHSDs) play an important role in the regulation of intracellular levels of biologically active sex steroid hormones in various human tissues. To date, eight distinctive 17βHSD enzymes have been cloned and characterized in humans. Among these isoenzymes, 17βHSD type 2 (17βHSD2) catalyses the conversion of testosterone into androstenedione and/or oestradiol into oestrone in various tissues, and it has thus been suggested to be involved in the biological inactivation of these sex steroids. The human gastrointestinal tract and liver are considered as the principle sites of inactivation and metabolism of various forms of orally administered sex steroids. We therefore examined 17βHSD2 expression and activity in human adult non-pathological gastrointestinal tract in order to clarify further the biological significance of this enzyme. A total of 80 specimens (40 from males and 40 from females) of normal oesophageal, stomach, duodenal, ileal, colonic and rectal tissues were examined for immunohistochemistry. Altogether, 17 tissue specimens were used for enzyme assay, and eight for RNA analysis. 17βHSD2 activity was detected in the stomach, duodenum, ileum, colon and rectum. 17βHSD2 mRNA was most abundant in the small intestine. 17βHSD2 immunoreactivity was localized almost exclusively to the absorptive epithelium, which may be involved in the inactivation of excessive endogenous and exogenous active sex steroids. Results from the present study thus suggest that the human gastrointestinal tract is an important sex steroid metabolizing organ in humans.
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September 25 2001
17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 expression and enzyme activity in the human gastrointestinal tract
Toshikazu SANO;
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
†Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
Correspondence: Dr Toshikazu Sano, at Department of Pathology (e-mail [email protected]).
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Gen HIRASAWA;
Gen HIRASAWA
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Junji TAKEYAMA;
Junji TAKEYAMA
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Andrew D. DARNEL;
Andrew D. DARNEL
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Takashi SUZUKI;
Takashi SUZUKI
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Takuya MORIYA;
Takuya MORIYA
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Katuaki KATO;
Katuaki KATO
†Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Hitoshi SEKINE;
Hitoshi SEKINE
†Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Syuichi OHARA;
Syuichi OHARA
†Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Tooru SHIMOSEGAWA;
Tooru SHIMOSEGAWA
†Department of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Junji NAKAMURA;
Junji NAKAMURA
‡Research Institute of Life Science, Snow Brand Co. Ltd., Tochigi, 329-0512, Japan
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Makoto YOSHIHAMA;
Makoto YOSHIHAMA
‡Research Institute of Life Science, Snow Brand Co. Ltd., Tochigi, 329-0512, Japan
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Nobuhiro HARADA;
Nobuhiro HARADA
§Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan
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Hironobu SASANO
Hironobu SASANO
*Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
February 13 2001
Revision Received:
May 17 2001
Accepted:
July 05 2001
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society and the Medical Research Society © 2001
2001
Clin Sci (Lond) (2001) 101 (5): 485–491.
Article history
Received:
February 13 2001
Revision Received:
May 17 2001
Accepted:
July 05 2001
Citation
Toshikazu SANO, Gen HIRASAWA, Junji TAKEYAMA, Andrew D. DARNEL, Takashi SUZUKI, Takuya MORIYA, Katuaki KATO, Hitoshi SEKINE, Syuichi OHARA, Tooru SHIMOSEGAWA, Junji NAKAMURA, Makoto YOSHIHAMA, Nobuhiro HARADA, Hironobu SASANO; 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 expression and enzyme activity in the human gastrointestinal tract. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 November 2001; 101 (5): 485–491. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/cs1010485
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