Dalton D P, Lee C, Huprikar S, Chmiel J S, Grayhack J T
Department of Urology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago 60611.
Prostate. 1990;16(3):225-33. doi: 10.1002/pros.2990160306.
This study was conducted to investigate whether the testis, aside from its ability to secrete androgen, is able to promote prostatic growth in rats. Increasing quantities of silastic capsules filled with crystalline dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were implanted subcutaneously into adult Sprague-Dawley rats at the time of bilateral epididymo-orchiectomy or sham operation on the testes. Control animals received empty capsules. Twenty-eight days later, the growth of the ventral prostate as measured by wet weight, DNA, and protein content per prostate was significantly greater in rats with intact testes than in orchiectomized rats. An overall increased growth was noted at all doses of exogenous DHT administered. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone in animals treated with DHT were undetectable. Serum levels of testosterone in intact rats treated with DHT were not significantly different from those in castrated rats. These observations suggest a non-androgenic role for the testis and, perhaps, epididymis in promoting prostatic growth in rats, and are consistent with the concept that a non-androgenic substance, produced from the testis and/or epididymis, is able to enhance prostate growth induced by androgen stimulation. The possibility that this phenomenon may play a role in the benign growth of the prostate observed in aging human males with decreased blood levels of androgen warrants consideration.
本研究旨在调查睾丸除了具有分泌雄激素的能力外，是否还能促进大鼠前列腺生长。在成年斯普拉格-道利大鼠进行双侧附睾-睾丸切除术或睾丸假手术时，将填充有结晶二氢睾酮（DHT）的硅橡胶胶囊皮下植入，植入量逐渐增加。对照动物接受空胶囊。28天后，完整睾丸大鼠的前列腺腹侧生长情况（通过每克前列腺的湿重、DNA和蛋白质含量来衡量）显著大于去势大鼠。在外源性DHT的所有剂量下均观察到总体生长增加。用DHT处理的动物血清促黄体生成素水平无法检测到。用DHT处理的完整大鼠的血清睾酮水平与去势大鼠的血清睾酮水平无显著差异。这些观察结果表明睾丸以及附睾在促进大鼠前列腺生长中具有非雄激素作用，这与睾丸和/或附睾产生的一种非雄激素物质能够增强雄激素刺激诱导的前列腺生长这一概念是一致的。这种现象可能在雄激素水平降低的老年男性前列腺良性生长中起作用，这一可能性值得考虑。
