The effects of 5?-reduced androgens on maintenance and regeneration of prostate glands and seminal vesicles in castrated and hypophysectomized rats

Abstract

The effects of 5α‐androstane‐3α,17β‐diol (3α‐diol) and 5α‐androstane‐3β, 17β‐diol (3β‐diol) were studied in rats hypophysectomized and treated daily for 30 days with the steroids, starting on the day of surgery (hypophysectomized, H) or 30 days following the removal of pituitary (hypophy‐sectomized regressed, HR). The ability of 3β‐diol to maintain and restimulate the prostate glands and seminal vesicles of castrated (C) and castrated regressed (CR) rats, respectively, was also studied. This androgen (3βdiol) was able to maintain as well as rejuvenate to some degree the sexual accessory glands of all treatment groups. The prostate glands and seminal vesicles in both castrated experimental groups showed increased stimulation with progressively higher dosages of 3β‐diol. At all dose levels, stimulation of seminal vesicles of CR rats was comparable to that of non‐regressed castrates. The prostate glands, on the other hand, showed better maintenance in the higher dosage group. In H rats, the stimulation of sexual accessory glands by both androgens was not significantly different than normal controls. The seminal vesicles and prostate glands of HR rats treated with 3α‐diol were well stimulated and comparable to those of H rats treated with 3α‐diol. The seminal vesicles of HR rats treated with 3β‐diol were also well stimulated, though not to the extent as those with 3α‐diol treatment. The prostate glands of the 3β‐diol treated HR rats were significantly smaller than those of the 3α‐diol treatment group. However, these miniature glands were morphologically stimulated as evidenced by mitosis of parenchymal cells and accumulation of secretory products in the alveoli. This study clearly indicates that 3β‐diol is biologically active and the degree of stimulation varies with the animal preparation in which the andro‐gens were tested.