The localization of DHEA sulfotransferase in steroidogenic and steroid metabolizing tissues of the adult rhesus macaque monkey

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is a major secretory product of the human ad renal cortex during intrauterine development as well as during adulthood. T here are few animal experimental models that share this characteristic patt ern of adrenal cortical steroidogenesis, which probably accounts for the re lative paucity of information about the control of development and function of the adrenal androgen secretory apparatus. Adrenal androgen production i n the rhesus macaque shares many similarities with that of the human. We so ught to determine the tissue distribution of the enzyme DHEA sulfotransfera se (DST) in the rhesus. Tissues were harvested at the time of autopsy from 7 adult monkeys (5 M, 2 F) ranging from 8 - 15 yrs old, and were fixed in 4 % paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 5 mu thickness. Tissue sections were immunostained for DST with an anti-human liver DST ant ibody. DST was not detected in the testis or ovary. In the liver, immunorea ctive DST was detected only in hepatocytes and in the kidney, DST was found only in the epithelial cells lining the collecting tubules. In the adrenal , DST was present in the cells of the zona reticularis but was not found in the cells of the medulla, zona fasciculata or in the very prominent zona g lomerulosa. DST was most prominent in cells that were closest to the reticu laris-medullary border. In most adrenals evaluated, the immunopositive cell s were scattered, rather than forming a continuous band of cells around the medulla. The tissue distribution of DST in the adult rhesus macaque is qua litatively similar that observed in the adult human. These data are suggest ive that the rhesus might be an excellent model for the exploration of fact ors that regulate adrenal androgen production during development, aging, an d in response to illness and stress, all of which have been found to be ass ociated with variations in DHEA and DHEA sulfate production in the human.