Hormonal regulation of prolactin receptors in male rat target tissues: the effect of hypothyroidism and adrenalectomy.

The effects of hypothyroidism and adrenalectomy (ADX) on PRL receptors as well as the subcellular distribution of PRL-binding sites in adult male rat target tissues were investigated. In ventral prostate, kidney, and adrenal, PRL-binding activity was enriched in the 15,000 X g pellet (mitochondrial/Golgi fraction). The zona fasiculata/reticularis plus medulla of the adrenal had higher PRL-binding activity than the zona glomerulosa (plus capsule).

7 alpha-Alkyltestosterone derivatives: synthesis and activity as androgens and as aromatase inhibitors.

The 7 alpha-ethyl,propyl,butyl,3'-t-butoxypropyl,allyl,3'-hydroxypropyl 17-acetate, and 3'-chloropropyl 17-acetate derivatives of testosterone and the 7 alpha-3'-t-butoxypropyl, 3'-hydroxypropyl,3'-acetoxypropyl,3'-bromoacetoxypropyl, 3'-chloropropyl, and 2'-oxo-3'-bromopropyl derivatives of 4-androstene-3,17-dione were synthesized. The testosterone derivatives were found to lose androgenic and anabolic activity rapidly as the size of the group at the 7 position increased. Many of the compounds were tested as inhibitors of aromatase.

The effect of prolactin on the Dunning R3327H rat prostatic adenocarcinoma.

The Dunning R3327 rat prostatic adenocarcinoma contains specific binding sites for iodo-oPRL (ovine prolactin) in the membrane fraction (100,000 X g pellet). These are normally present at a low level, but immunization with oPRL produces a dramatic increase in tumor binding in either sex (females bear an implant of testosterone propionate pellet). Under these experimental conditions, the ventral prostate of rats bearing the tumors have no detectable PRL receptors.

Interaction of prolactin and testosterone in the human prostate.

Three experiments were performed to determine whether human prolactin (hPr) affects prostatic uptake and metabolism of testosterone (T). 1) Patients with prostatic cancer were infused twice with radio-labelled androgens, the first time with basal hPR, the second time with oral thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH)-elevated hPr. In 5/7, significant increases in metabolic clearance of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and in conversion of T to DHT accompanied increased hPR.