[A study of the effect of dihydrotestosterone on cultured human fibroblasts--with special reference to the hormone effect on the synthesis of proteins, collagen and DNA in fibroblasts (author's transl)].

Fibroblasts grown from abdominal and vulvar skin from normal women were tested for their dihydrotestosterone binding activity. Fibroblasts from either source had 8S cytoplasmic dihydrotestosterone receptors as confirmed by sucrose gradient analysis and the concentration of dihydrotestosterone binding sites and the apparent dissociation constant were 21.6 +/- 1.1 fmoles/mg protein and 0.50 +/- 0.028 nM, respectively, for fibroblasts from abdominal skin and 35.9 +/- 1.7 fmoles/mg protein and 0.24 +/- 0.015 nM, respectively, for fibroblasts from vulvar skin. The dihydrotestosterone binding activity was greater in fibroblasts from vulvar skin than from abdominal skin (P less than 0.01). Fibroblasts formed dense monolayers were treated with various concentrations of dihydrotestosterone (10, 100, 1,000 ng/ml) for six days and were assessed for hormone effect. The production of proteins was elevated in fibroblasts from either source with a slightly greater hormonal response occurring in fibroblasts from vulvar skin than from abdominal skin. Collagen production was elevated significantly in fibroblasts from vulvar skin but only marginally in fibroblasts from abdominal skin. The synthesis of DNA was not affected in fibroblasts from either source. These results than response to dihydrotestosterone was greater in fibroblasts with a higher hormone binding activity may reflect the hormone effect being mediated through dihydrotestosterone receptors.