Comparison and significance of respiration and glycolysis of prostatic tissue from various species.

The respiration and glycolysis of prostatic tissue from baboons, rhesus monkeys, dogs and rats were compared to the respiration and glycolysis in human prostatic tissue. All the primate prostates had a high glycolytic ability and a low respiration in contrast to the rat and dog prostate. Treatment of baboons with drugs clinically effective against prostatic cancer did not change the prostatic metabolism despite a marked prostatic atrophy. In vitro the drugs reduced respiration markedly. The metabolic similarity between the human and the baboon and rhesus monkey prostate indicates that nonhuman primates should be investigated in the evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of prostatic cancer.