Differential effects of estrogen exposure on arylsulfatase B, galactose-6-sulfatase, and steroid sulfatase in rat prostate development.

Sulfatase enzymes remove sulfate groups from sulfated steroid hormones, including estrone-sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, and from sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), including chondroitin sulfates and heparan sulfate. The enzymes N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase (arylsulfatase B; ARSB) and N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS), which remove sulfate groups from the sulfated GAGs chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) and chondroitin 6-sulfate, respectively, have not been studied in prostate development previously. In this report, the endogenous variation and the impact of exogenous estradiol benzoate on the immunohistochemistry and activity of ARSB and GALNS in post-natal (days 1-30) ventral rat prostate are presented, as well as measurements of steroid sulfatase activity (STS), C4S, total sulfated GAGs, and versican, an extracellular matrix proteoglycan with chondroitin sulfate attachments on days 5 and 30. Findings demonstrate distinct and reciprocal localization of ARSB and GALNS, with ARSB predominant in the stroma and GALNS predominant in the epithelium. Control ARSB activity increased significantly between days 5 and 30, but following estrogen exposure (estradiol benzoate 25 μg in 25 μl sesame oil subcutaneously on days 1, 3, and 5), activity was reduced and the observed increase on day 30 was inhibited. However, estrogen treatment did not inhibit the increase in GALNS activity between days 5 and 30, and reduced STS activity by 50% on both days 5 and 30 compared to vehicle control. Sulfated GAGs, C4S, and the extracellular matrix proteoglycan versican declined between days 5 and 30 in the control, but these declines were inhibited following estrogen. Study findings indicate distinct variation in expression and activity of sulfatases, sulfated GAGs, C4S, and versican in the process of normal prostate development, and disruption of these events by exogenous estrogen.