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...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Urological research 1981-01, Vol.9 (2), p.79-88
Main Authors: Farnsworth, W E, Slaunwhite, Jr, W R, Sharma, M, Oseko, F, Brown, J R, Gonder, M J, Cartagena, R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dihydrotestosterone - metabolism
Humans
Male
Prolactin - pharmacology
Prostatic Hyperplasia - metabolism
Prostatic Neoplasms - metabolism
Stimulation, Chemical
Testosterone - metabolism
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone - pharmacology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary: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. 2) The incorporation of labelled T into minced benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) tissue from subjects with high (40 ng/ml) hPR was measured and was found to be more than twice the uptake into tissue from those with low hPR (6.5 +/- 1.9 ng/ml). 3) Uptake and metabolism in vivo of a bolus of 3H-T by BPH and carcinomatous prostates was measured and was far greater in subjects whose hPR was elevated by chlorpromazine than in untreated controls. It is concluded that prolactin increases prostatic uptake and metabolism of T. It is suggested that the best management of prostatic cancer should include depletion of prolactin as well as androgen.
ISSN:0300-5623
1434-0879
DOI:10.1007/BF00256681