Metabolic action of prolactin in regressing prostate: independent of androgen action

Journal Article · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1984 · Prostate (N.Y.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/pros.2990060107· OSTI ID:5655820

Smith, C; Assimos, D; Lee, C; Grayhack, J T

The mechanism of the observed synergistic effect of prolactin and androgen on the lateral lobe of the rat prostate is not established. The observation that prolactin alone delayed the rate of loss of weight, protein, and DNA of the lateral lobe in castrated rats has led us to question the assumption that the effect of prolactin is produced by a modification of recognized androgen-induced intracellular changes. The present study was conducted to explore whether or not the sites of prolactin action in the rat prostate coincided with those recognized as the androgen effect. Two anterior pituitaries from female donors were grafted under the right renal capsule of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Seven days later, bilateral orchiectomy and unilateral nephrectomy were performed in these rats. In one half of the animals, the kidney bearing the pituitary grafts was removed. In the other half, the contralateral kidney was removed. Seven days following the orchiectomy-nephrectomy, animals bearing the pituitary grafts had a higher level of serum prolactin (93 +/- 7 ng/ml, mean +/- SE) than in those without the graft (26 +/- 3 ng/ml). This condition of hyperprolactinemia was associated with the delay of castration-induced regression in the lateral prostate. The rate of protein degradation, as judged by the amount of radioactivity remaining in the tissue following a single i.v. pulse of /sup 3/H-leucine 24 hr before orchiectomy-nephrectomy, was significantly slower in the lateral prostate in graft-bearing animals than in those without grafts.

• Research Organization: Northwestern Univ. Medical School, Chicago, IL
• OSTI ID: 5655820
• Journal Information: Prostate (N.Y.); (United States), Journal Name: Prostate (N.Y.); (United States) Vol. 6:1; ISSN PRSTD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
ANDROGENS
ANDROSTANES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CASTRATION
DNA
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
GONADOTROPINS
GRAFTS
HORMONES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
KIDNEYS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LEUCINE
LTH
MALE GENITALS
MAMMALS
MEDICINE
METABOLISM
NEPHRECTOMY
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY GLAND
PITUITARY HORMONES
PROSTATE
PROTEINS
RATS
RODENTS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
SURGERY
SYNERGISM
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSPLANTS
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES