Comparison of spontaneous and experimentally induced canine prostatic hyperplasia.

Spontaneous prostatic hyperplasia in the beagle appears to progress with age from a glandular to a cystic histological appearance. Prostatic hyperplasia can be induced in young beagles with intact testes by treatment for 4 mo with either dihydrotestosterone or 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol, alone, or with either of these steroids in combination with 17 beta-estradiol. In contrast, the induction of prostatic hyperplasia in young castrated beagles, in which the gland had been allowed to involute for 1 mo, requires the administration of both 17 beta-estradiol and either 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol or dihydrotestosterone. Testosterone and 17 beta-estradiol, either singly or in combination, did not produce the hyperplastic condition in intact or castrated beagles. The experimentally induced prostatic hyperplasia is identical in pathology to the glandular hyperplasia that occurs naturally in the aging dog with intact testes. However, cystic hyperplasia was not produced by any of the treatments tested in young animals.

4-Ethenylidene steroids as mechanism-based inactivators of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases.

The synthesis of 4-ethenylidene-5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (5) and of 4-ethenylidene-5 alpha-androstane-3, 17-dione (4) is described. Compound 5 is a competitive inhibitor of solubilized bovine microsomal adrenal delta-5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, with Ki = 2.7 microM, and is converted by the enzyme to the corresponding 3-ketone. Compound 4 is shown to irreversibly inactivate the enzyme in a time-dependent manner (t 1/2 = 31 min; 55 microM; pH = 7.0). The substrate, dehydroepiandrosterone, protects against inactivation by compound 4. In contrast, compound 5 is not oxidized at the 3-position by the 3 beta-(and 17 beta)-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from P. testosteroni, but is oxidized at the 17-position. Nevertheless, the 4-ethenylidene-3,17-diketone (4) causes irreversible time-dependent inactivation (t 1/2 = 28 min; 64 microM; pH = 7.0) when incubated directly with this bacterial enzyme, acting as an affinity label.

Studies of the effect of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17alpha-diol in the canine prostate in vivo.

Adult beagle dogs, castrated one month previously, were treated with 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17alpha-diol (total dose 300 mg) over a period of one month. Examination of the prostate after treatment showed no significant change in size, weight or histological appearance from the castrate dog prostate. Subsequent administration of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (300 mg) over the same period of time resulted in restoration of the prostate size, weight and histological appearance to that of the normal intact dog prostate. It is concluded that exogenously administered 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17alpha-diol does not promote prostatic growth in the castrate beagle dog.

The identification and characterization of the C19O3 steroid metabolites of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol produced by the canine prostate: 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,6 alpha,17 beta-triol and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,7 alpha,17 beta-triol.

This study has identified the polar metabolites of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta-17 beta-diol(3 beta-diol) produced by the canine prostate. The major metabolite is 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,7 alpha,17 beta-triol(7 alpha-triol) accounting for approximately 80% of the total polar metabolites of 3 beta-diol. The remaining 20% is accounted for exclusively by another triol, 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,6 alpha,17 beta-triol(6 alpha-triol). This study has also characterized two enzymatic hydroxylase responsible for respective triol formation: 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol 6 alpha-hydroxylase(6 alpha-hydroxylase) and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta,17 beta-diol 7 alpha-hydroxylase(7 alpha-hydroxylase). Both of these irreversible hydroxylases are located in the particulate fraction of the prostate and can utilize either NADH or NADPH as cofactor. Several in vitro steroid inhibitors of these hydroxylases were identified including cholesterol, estradiol and diethylstilbestrol. Neither of the hydroxylases were found to be decreased by castration (3 months) when expressed as activity/DNA. Using a variety of C19 androstane substrates, 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-triol were found to be major components of the total 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstane metabolites produced by the canine prostate.

The identification and characterization of a new C19O3 steroid metabolite in the rat ventral prostate: 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 6 alpha, 17 beta-triol.

This study represents the first report of the formation of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 6 alpha, 17 beta-triol (6 alpha-triol) by prostatic tissue. The 6 alpha-triol has been identified by rigorous methods and a chemical synthesis of this triol has been accomplished. This 6 alpha-triol is the major metabolite of 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (3 beta-diol) in the rat ventral prostate. A minor metabolite of 3 beta-diol has been identified as 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 7 alpha, 17 beta-triol (7 alpha-triol). Using a variety of C19 androstane substrates, the 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-triols were always found as the major components of the total 3 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstane metabolites produced by the ventral prostate. Following intraperitoneal injection of 3H-3 beta-diol, both 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-triol were formed in vivo by the ventral prostate and found in the blood. The 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-triols were found to possess no androgenic activity when tested by the ventral prostatic growth bioassay in the castrate rat.

Characterization of two new enzymatic activities of the rat ventral prostate: 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 6 alpha-hydroxylase and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 7 alpha-hydroxylase.

This study has characterized two new enzymatic hydroxylase activities specific for 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (3 beta-diol) in the rat ventral prostate: 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 6 alpha-hydroxylase (6 alpha-hydroxylase) and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (7 alpha-hydroxylase). Both of these irreversible hydroxylase activities require NADPH and are localized in the microsomal fraction of the prostate. The apparent Km for 3 beta-diol is 2.5 microM for both the 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-hydroxylase activities. The apparent Km for NADPH is 7.6 microM for the 6 alpha-hydroxylase and 7.0 microM for the 7 alpha-hydroxylase. The pH optimum for both activities is 7.4. Several steroid inhibitors of these hydroxylase activities in vitro were identified including cholesterol, progesterone, and estradiol. Estradiol was found in vitro to be a noncompetitive inhibitor (Ki = 5 microM). Injection of estradiol into intact male rats, simultaneously receiving exogenous testosterone, also produced a significant lowering of the 6 alpha-plus 7 alpha-hydroxylase activities. Both the 6 alpha- and 7 alpha-hydroxylase were found to be androgen sensitive. Following castration there is a rapid decrease in both activities.