We developed a new high-performance liquid chromatographic method using an ODS column and a chiral column for the assay of racemic 4-OH-PL sulfate and enantiomeric 4-OH-PL sulfates, respectively. The method was successfully applied to measure phenolsulfotransferase (PST) activities for 4-OH-PL in cytosolic fractions from livers of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) and for comparison with its activity of cytosolic fractions from rat, rabbit, dog, and human livers and Hep G2 cells. The activity was ranked as Hep G2 cells > monkeys = humans = dogs = rats > rabbits. To evaluate the Japanese monkey as a nonhuman animal model in drug metabolism studies, we further characterized sulfation of 4-OH-PL as a further metabolic pathway in monkey livers to compare that with human livers. Inhibition studies in which cytosolic fractions were preincubated at 43 degrees C or 2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenol (DCNP) used as a PST inhibitor indicated that two kinds of PSTs, thermolabile, low-Km and DCNP-resistant PST and thermostable, high-Km and DCNP-sensitive PST were involved in 4-OH-PL sulfation by monkey liver cytosol, which is very similar to the reported profile of 4-OH-PL sulfation by human liver cytosol. Sulfation kinetics in a low concentration range of 4-OH-PL enantiomers demonstrated that apparent Km values were similar between human and monkey liver cytosolic fractions, but the Vmax values were different, so that intrinsic clearance values (Vmax/Km, Clint) were higher in monkeys than in humans. Furthermore, enantiomer selectivity of [R(+)-4-OH-PL > S(-)-4-OH-PL] was observed in the Vmax and CLint values of monkey liver cytosol. These results indicate that the profile of sulfation of 4-OH-PL by liver cytosolic fractions is similar in humans and Japanese monkeys.