Effect of estrogen and androgen administration on alpha-difluoromethylornithine-enhanced putrescine uptake by the rat prostate.

Radiolabeled putrescine is a potential imaging agent for carcinoma of the prostate. The intrinsically high uptake of putrescine into the rat prostate and prostatic carcinoma can be further stimulated by pretreatment of the animals with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) uptake, a polyamine synthesis inhibitor. Pharmacological castration of the animals followed by androgen stimulation and DFMO pretreatment achieved a 30:1 prostate/muscle ratio of 14C-putrescine uptake in elderly rats.