Subnormal tissue 3 alpha-androstanediol and androsterone in prostatic hyperplasia.
We investigated the role of 3 alpha-androstanediol (3 alpha-diol) in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the apparent equilibrium of enzymes which metabolize it in normal and hyperplastic prostatic tissue of humans. We determined the endogenous concentrations of 3 alpha-diol, androsterone, its 3 alpha-17-keto metabolite or precursor, and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), its 3-keto,17 beta-hydroxy product of precursor, by RIA after extraction and paper chromatography of the androgens from normal and hyperplastic prostate glands. The mean concentrations of 3 alpha-diol and androsterone were about one-third of normal in BPH. The mean ratio of the concentration of DHT to 3 alpha-diol was significantly higher (P less than 0.005) than normal in BPH, whereas no statistical difference was observed for the mean ratio of the tissue levels of 3 alpha-diol to androsterone in the two groups. Our data do not support the postulate that 3 alpha-diol is causally related to the development of BPH. However, they indicate that the apparent equilibrium of the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase favors the formation of the 3-keto-oxidized product, DHT, which may have relevance to the occurrence of the renewed growth of the prostate of aging men.
D000728:Androgens / Q000276:immunology; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000378:metabolism*; D000732:Androstanols / Q000378:metabolism*; D000738:Androsterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000592:standards
D000728:Androgens; D000732:Androstanols; D007106:Immune Sera; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol; D000738:Androsterone