Creatine-Creatinine Metabolism in Older Patients with Benign Prostatic Enlargement1

Abstract

The report of Jailer demonstrated that the presence of adequate androgenic function in the monkey enabled the animal, on a creatine-free diet, to retain on an avg. of more than 70% of administered exogenous creatine. Many workers have considered that benign prostatic enlargement is a result of hormone imbalance with either an increase or decrease of androgenic substances. Since the creatine retention test is an indicator of androgenic metabolism, a series of controlled tests were made on selected groups of patients which included normal young [male][male] (avg. age 30 yrs.), "prostatics" (avg. age 59.8 yrs.), and elderly "non-prostatics" (avg. age 63.3 yrs.). Twenty-four-hr.-urine specimens were analyzed for creatinine by Folin''s method and creatine by Jailer''s modification of Benedict and Myers'' method. The normal young [male], the "prostatic" and the elderly "non-prostatic" showed a creatine retention above an avg. of 70% after the adm. of exogenous creatine. Nor was there a significant change in retention of exogenous creatine after injs. of 200 mg. of testosterone propionate in divided doses in the normal young [male] or the "prostatic." The creatinine N coefficient was generally lower in youth than old age, and lower in patients with impaired renal function. There was no indication of a constant change in creatinine values in youth or old age after the adm. of testosterone propionate. A comparison of different age groups did not indicate a disturbance of the androgenic balance in patients with benign prostatic enlargement as examined by these methods.