STEROIDS AND GROWTH 



401 



120 



100 



■ 80 



£ 



5 60 



40 

 20 



VENTRAL PROSTATE 



X TESTOSTERONE 

 • ESTRONE 



^y/m 



7-/^7 /T////7n "•TV //// 



0.05 0.1 0<2 



TOTAL DOSE mg 



0.5 



Figure 7. Effect of testosterone and estrone on ventral-prostate weight of 

 rat. (Data from Saunders, 1958.) 



phied gland. The response of atrophied prostate to androgens is quite 

 regular and may be used to assay androgenic steroids ( Dorfman, 1950; 

 Dorfman and Shipley, 1956). The typical response of the atrophied 

 prostate gland to testosterone is shown in Figure 7. The principle effect 

 of androgens is on the epithelial components of the gland. Estrogens, 

 it will be noted, do not significantly effect prostate weight in the cas- 

 trated animal. 



Glandular function, as well as weight, is affected by steroids. For 

 example, as shown by Huggins and Clark (1940), castration in dogs 

 decreases prostatic secretions, the secretions ceasing within three weeks 

 after operations. Treatment with androgens will reverse this effect of 

 castration. Androgens will also initiate or increase prostate secretions 

 in human hypogonadism (Heckel and Steinmetz, 1941). Prostatic tissue 

 is also rich in the acid phosphatase, and the concentration of this en- 

 zyme is increased by androgens and sharply decreased by estrogens 

 ( Huggins and Hodges, 1941 ) . 



Kejerences 



Asling, C. W., Simpson, M. E., Moon, H. D., Li, C. H., and Evans, H. M., 1955. 

 "Growth Hormone Induced Bone and Joint Changes in the Adult Rat, in 



