The Urinary Excretion of Androgens by Patients with Benign Hypertrophy of the Prostate,

Abstract

In general, the procedures developed by Gallagher et al. were followed in this investigation. However, autoclaved urine, which was used in this work; gave values about one-half as high as those obtained with boiled urine. A critical study of the method showed that, in any given study, the procedure must be accurately standardized and rigidly followed. The important points are: complete acidification and hydrolysis of the urine within 24 hrs.; the use of boiling instead of autoclaving for hydrolysis; hydrolysis of the acidified urine in a constant vol.; and extraction of the urine with at least 10 vols. of benzene. Each 3-day specimen was assayed by the colori-metric method of Oesting, using the Zimmerman [image]-dinitro-benzene reaction, and by bioassay in capons. With normal urine there is a satisfactory correlation of the 2 tests, but with urine from older [male][male] with disease of the prostate there is an evident increase of chromogenic substance which is not biologically active. The avg., maximum and minimum excretions of urinary androgens, in the equiv. of I. U. androsterone per day, were: young [male][male] (20-35 yrs. old) 19.4, 25.3, 10.3; older [male][male] without benign hypertrophy 9.0, 16.6, 6.1; older [male][male] with benign hypertrophy 6.7, 15.3, 2.2, resp.