Alteration of collagen biosynthesis and analysis of type I and type III collagens of prostate in young rats following sex hormone treatments.

Two series of experiments were conducted to clarify the collagen biosynthesis and isolation of type I and type III collagens of young rats that received various sex hormone treatments. Evidence has been presented that (1) estradiol-17 beta treatment induces prostatic atrophy and suppresses the incorporation of [3H]proline into collagen in prostate; (2) administration of estradiol-17 beta increases the collagen content in the prostate; (3) localization of type I and III collagens in the interstitium of the prostate is detected by indirect immunofluorescence staining; (4) the ratio of type III collagen to type I collagen in the gland decreases following estradiol-17 beta treatment; and (5) neither treatment with testosterone nor administration of testosterone plus estradiol-17 beta in precastrated rats shows discernible effects on these valuables. These findings suggest that estradiol-17 beta increases the accumulation of collagen into the prostate with different extents of influence on the synthesis of type I and III collagens.