Effects of steroid androgens on the uptake and distribution of zinc in slices from human prostates.

Slices of human hyperplastic prostates were superfused with magnitude of [6 5Zn] Cl2 in the absence or in the presence of testosterone or 5 alpha - dihydrotestosterone or 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol. Uptake of magnitude of [6 5Zn] Cl2 was not significantly changed by steroid androgens but the binding of magnitude of [6 5Zn] to the citrate of prostatic cytosol was generally significantly decreased by the tested steroids. The 5 alpha-reduced androgens were more efficient that testosterone in decreasing bound zinc levels and increasing free zinc concentrations. Implications of these findings on the metabolism and differentiation of prostatic cells are discussed.