Effect of oestradiol-17ß on the metabolism of noradrenaline in brain slices of ovariectomized rats
Abstract. Ovariectomized rats received a single injection of 10 μg oestradiol-17β 3-benzoate; 90 min or 19 h after injection, slices of various brain areas were prepared and incubated with tritiated noradrenaline for 30 min. Methylated and non-methylated metabolites of tritiated noradrenaline were determined after chromatographic separation. Nineteen h after administration of oestradiol-17β 3-benzoate, the formation of normetanephrine, 3-methoxy 4-hydroxy phenylglycol and 3-methoxy 4-hydroxy mandelic acid was decreased (P < 0.05) in hypothalamic tissue, whereas that of 3,4-dihydroxy mandelic acid was increased (P < 0.001). In thalamus tissue a decrease of normetanephrine (P < 0.05) and an increase of 3,4-dihydroxy mandelic acid (P < 0.01) were also observed. No conclusive results were obtained with hypophyseal tissue. The present findings suggest that oestrogens reduce the methylation of noradrenaline, probably through a competitive inhibition of the catechol-O-methyl-transferase by 2-hydroxylated oestrogens.