Monooxygenase mediating catecholestrogen formation by rat anterior pituitary is an estrogen-4-hydroxylase

Microsomes from rat anterior pituitaries (AP) were incubated with (3H)estradiol under conditions previously shown to support catecholestrogen (CE) formation by placental microsomes via an NADPH- or an organic hydroperoxide-dependent, peroxidatic mechanism. Under conditions optimized for monooxygenase activity (pH 8.0, 5 mM NADPH), 4-hydroxylation predominated (apparent Vmax = 65 pmol and 13 pmol/mg protein/30 min for 4- and 2-hydroxy-E2, respectively). Under conditions optimized for peroxidatic activity (pH 6.0, 50 mM cumene hydroperoxide) 2- and 4-hydroxylated-E2 were produced in similar amounts. Thus in the AP, unlike in other target tissues studied, NADPH-dependent CE synthetase is a 4-hydroxylase and significant 2-hydroxylation occurs only via the peroxidatic mechanism. We propose that 4-hydroxylated CEs, which are both potent, long acting estrogens and catechols, serve as local mediators of actions of phenolic estrogens on the AP.